HUH  I     A*;«:> .'.  :•».>„ 


LIFE    OF    PAUL  REVERE. 


Digitized  by  the  Internet  Archive 
in  2013 


http://archive.org/details/lifeofcolonelpau01goss 


The  Life  of  Colonel 

PAUL  REVERE, 

by  Elbridge  Henry  Goss,  member  of  Amer- 
ican Historical  Association  New  England 
Historic  Genealogical  Society,  Bosto7tian 
Society,  etc.     With  portraits,  many 
illustrations,  fac-similes,  etc. 
In    two  volumes. 

Vol.  i. 


Printed   and    published  by  Joseph  George 
Cupples,    bookseller,  Boylston  Street, 
opposite  Public  Garden,  in  the 
City  of  Boston, 
i  891. 


Copyright,  1891,  by 
Ilbridge  Henky  Goss. 

A II  rights  reserved. 


To  the  People  of  Boston,  in  whose  service 
he  spent  his  life;  whose  rights   he  always 
championed ;  and  whose  liberties  he  aided  so 
nobly  in  preserving ;  this  Memorial  of  PA  UL 
REVERE  is  most  respectfully 
dedicated   by  the 
Author. 


PREFACE. 


w 


HEN  the  landlord  of 
the  Wayside  Inn,  in 
his  charming  way,  told  the 
world  of  the  midnight  ride 
of  Paul  Revere,  but  little 
else  was  known  concern- 
ing him.  Although  his 
bells  were  hanging  in 
many  steeples  ;  his  cannon 
had  been  heard  around  the 
world ;  his  articles  of  silver- 
ware were  sacredly  cherished  in  many  a 
family  ;  a  few  of  his  caricatures  and  historic 
engravings  were  still  treasured  in  the  hands 
of  those  who  knew  their  value  ;  a  large  in- 
dustry established  by  him  still  continued,  and 
was  known  by  his  name  ;  yet  Revere  himself 
was   comparatively    unknown.      To-day  his 


VIII 


PREFACE. 


name  is  a  household  word ;  made  so,  in  a 
great  measure,  by  the  muse  of  Longfellow. 
But  our  loved  poet  gave  but  one  of  the  many 
events  occurring  in  the  long  and  varied  life 
of  this  man.  That  important  incident  was 
emphasized  a  few  years  ago  by  Dallin's 
equestrian  statuette. 

It  was  while  examining  this  model  that  I 
resolved  to  write  an  illustrated  article  for  the 
Magazine  of  American  History.  This  duly 
appeared  in  the  number  for  January,  1886. 
I  then  found  that  there  existed  no  biography 
of  Revere ;  only  fragmentary  sketches  of  the 
man  here  and  there ;  and  I  determined  upon  a 
more  extended  life  of  one  who  had  so  much  to 
do  with  Revolutionary  men  and  events.  It 
seemed  proper  that  more  should  be  known 
of  one  who  was  an  artificer  of  many  trades  ; 
who  was  relied  upon  by  the  leading  patriots 
for  valuable  services  in  the  times  that  tried 
men's  souls. 

These  volumes  are  the  result.  It  has 
been  my  desire  to  reproduce  as  many  of  his 
engravings  and  caricatures  as  could  be  found ; 
some  are  irrecoverably  lost.   Also,  to  give  as 


PRE  FA  CE. 


IX 


many  of  his  letters  and  documents  as  possi- 
ble. 

To  the  family  of  the  late  John  Revere, 
grandson  of  Paul,  my  warmest  acknowledg- 
ments are  due  for  free  access  to  the  family 
papers,  by  which  I  have  been  enabled  to  give 
many  letters,  documents  and  items  of  interest, 
not  otherwise  accessible.  Likewise  to  other 
branches  of  the  Revere  descendants  am  I 
indebted. 

I  wish,  also,  to  express  my  heartiest  grat- 
itude to  my  friend,  Mr.  Howard  G.  Laskey, 
of  Boston,  the  young  and  talented  artist,  who 
has,  con  amove,  made  so  many  of  the  illus- 
trations for  these  pages. 

If  the  perusal  of  these  volumes  shall  prove 
as  pleasant  to  the  reader,  as  has  been  their 
preparation  to  the  writer,  I  shall  be  satisfied. 

E.  H.  G. 

Melrose,  Massachusetts. 


CONTENTS  OF  VOLUME  I. 


Page. 

PREFACE  -----  vii 

CHAPTER  I. 
ANCESTRY  AND  EARLY  LIFE. 

The  Huguenots  —  The  Rivoires — Apollos  Rivoire — 
Comes  to  America — Apprenticed  to  Goldsmith  — 
Visits  Guernsey  —  Marriage  —  Family  —  Paul  Re- 
vere—  Learns  his  Father's  Trade — Makes  and 
Embellishes  Silverware — Engraves  Copper-Plate 
—  Early  Military  Service  —  Commissioned  by  Gov. 
Shirley  —  His  History  of  this  Service,      -      -  3 


CHAPTER  II. 
MARRIAGE,    HOME    AND  BUSINESS. 

Resumes  Trade — Marriage — Home  on  Fish  Street 
—  North  Square  Homestead  —  Boston  Massacre 
Transparencies — New  Brick  Church  —  First  En- 
gravings—  Stamp-Act  Illustrations,    -  25 


XII 


CONTENTS. 


CHAPTER  III. 

ENGRAVINGS    AND  CARICATURES. 

Old    Singing-Books — The    Massachusetts  Circular 
Letter  —  The  King  Offended  —  Order  to  Rescind 

—  Caricature  of  the  Seventeen  Rescinders  — 
Punch-Bowl  to  the  Non-Rescinders  —  Boston  Mas- 
sacre Illustrations  —  His  Day-Book  —  The  North 
Battery  —  Views  of  Boston — Samubl  Adams  — 
John  Hancock  —  Magazine  Illustrations  —  Vari- 
ous Engravings,  53. 

CHAPTER  IV. 
ANTE-REVOLUTIONARY  SERVICES. 

Death  of  his  Wife — Names  of  Children — A  Love  Ditty 

—  Marries  Rachel  Walker  —  The  Sons  of  Liberty 

—  The  Boston  Caucuses  —  The  Patriot  Mercury  — 
Destruction  of  the  Tea  —  Thomas  Newell's  Diary 

—  John  Adams'  Letter  —  Ride  to  New  York  and 
Philadelphia — His  Letter  to  Lamb  —  The  Boston 
Port  Bill  —  His  Second  Ride  on  Special  Service 

—  New  York  Sons  of  Liberty  —  Revere  and  Lud- 
low's Meeting  —  Another  Letter  to  Lamb  —  His 
Port  Bill  Illustration  —  Declines  to  Serve  on 
Grand  Jury  —  Is  on  Continental  Congress  Reso- 
lutions Committee,  -  109 

CHAPTER  V. 
HISTORIC  FOOTPRINTS. 

The  Suffolk  Resolves  —  Express  to  Philadelphia  — 
The  Famous  Mansion  —  Again  sent  to  New  York 
and    Philadelphia  —  Important    Ride  to  Ports- 


COXTEXTS. 


XIII 


mouth  —  Taking  of  Fort  William  and  Mary — The 
Hidden  Gunpowder  —  Used  at  Bunker  Hill  — 
Attempted  Seizure  of  Cannon  at  Salem  —  Report 
to  John  Lamb,  -  -         -         -  159 


CHAPTER  VI. 
THE    RIDE    TO  LEXINGTON. 

His  Descriptive  Letter  to  Dr.  Belknap,  1798  — 
Earlier  Accounts  found  among  Family  Papers  — 
The  Sunday  Ride  of  April  16  —  Its  Importance  — 
Hancock  and  Adams  Warned  —  Dr.  Warren's  Ser- 
vice in  Boston  —  The  Signal  Lanterns — Con- 
tinued Service  as  Courier  —  Letter  from  John 
Lamb  —  Longfellow's  "  Paul  Revere's  Ride,"  179 


CHAPTER  VII. 
CHRIST  CHURCH  AND  THE   SIGNAL  LANTERNS. 

The  "Old  North  Church  "  —  America's  Oldest  Chime 
of  Bells  —  The  Memorial  Tablet  — The  Signal 
Lanterns  —  Robert  Newman  —  Centennial  Cele- 
bration,  -  -  -  -         -  -  -24 


CHAPTER  VIII. 
FAMILY  LETTERS. 

Revere  Returns  to  Charlestown  —  Letter  to  his 
Wife  in  Besieged  Boston  — Her  Reply  — Letters 
from  Ezra  Collins,  Sergeant  Singer,  and  Re- 
vere's Cousin  John  Rivoire  of  Guernsey,         -  261 


XIV 


CONTENTS. 


CHAPTER  IX. 
MILITARY  SERVICES. 

The    Massachusetts    State's    Train  —  Commissioned 
Lieutenant-Colonel — Letter  to  Lamb  —  Regrets 

that  he  is  not  in  the  continental  service  

In  Command  at  Castle  William  —  The  Artillery 
Orderly  Book  —  Benedict  Arnold's  Letter  — 
Various  Military  Orders — Boston's  First  Fourth 
of  July  Celebration  —  Goes  to  Worcester  for 
the  Bennington  Prisoners  —  General  Heath's 
Orders  —  Ordered  to  Join  the  Rhode  Island 
Campaign  —  General  Sullivan's  Patriotic  Letter 
—  Revere  to  his  Wife  — Again  in  Command  at 
Castle  William  —  Hardships,  Sufferings  and 
Troubles  Incident  to  these  Days  of  War,        -  277 


LIST  OF  ILLUSTRATIONS. 


IUMBER.  PAGE. 

1.  Portrait  of  Paul  Revere.  Photogra- 

vure by  J.  H.  Daniels,  from  the 
painting  by  Gilbert  Stuart,  in  pos- 
session of  the  Revere  family. 

Frontispiece. 

2.  Vignette  of  the  Ride  to  Lexington. 

Half-tone    from  the  painting  by 
Howard  G.  Laskey,       -  Title-page. 

3.  Portrait  of  Author.    From  a  photo- 

graph,  v 

4.  Facsimile  of  Autograph  Signature 

of  Author,  -----  v 

5.  Vignette  Portrait  of   Paul  Revere. 

Made  from  the  crayon  drawing  in 
possession  of  the  Misses  Lillie, 
Hingham,  Mass.,  vn 


xvi  LIST  OF  ILLUSTRATIONS. 


6.  Masonic  Seal.    Cut  in  silver.  Made 

by  Paul  Revere  for  the  Rising 
States  Lodge,  deposited  in  Masonic 
Temple,  Boston.  Reproduced 
through  the  kindness  of  Sereno 
D.  Nickerson,  Esquire,  Recording 
Grand  Secretary,  Grand  Lodge  of 
Massachusetts,  xv 

7.  Revere  Coat-ofArms.  Reproduced 

from  the  plate  made  by  Paul  Re- 
vere,   7 

8.  Facsimile  of  Autograph  Signature  of 

Paul  Revere,  Senior,  -       -  13 

9.  Tankard,  Cup,  and  Spoon,  made  by 

the  two  Paul  Reveres,  father  and 
son.  Drawn  from  the  actual  ob- 
jects by  Laskey,         -       -       -  14 

0.  Silver  Sugar  Basket,  made  by  Paul 

Revere.    Drawn  by  Laskey,      -  15 

1.  Silver  Cream  Ewer,  made  by  Paul 

Revere.    Drawn  by  Laskey,      -  16 

2 .  Facsimile  of  A  utograph  Signature  of 

Governor  SJiirley,       -        -       -  21 

3.  Paul  Revere  s  Homestead  in  North 

Square.     From    the  painting  by 
Laskey,      -----  28 


LIST  OF  ILLUSTRATIONS.  xvii 


14.  Allegory  of  the  Year  1765.  Repro- 

duced from  an  original  in  possession 

of  the  Revere  family,         -       -  33 

15.  Liberty-Tree    Lantern,    Drawn  by 

Laskey,  36 

16.  Liberty  Tree,  corner  of  Washington 

and  Essex  Streets,  Boston.  From 

an  etching  by  J.  H.  Daniels,      -  37 

17.  Stamp- Act  Obelisk.    From  the  cop- 

per-plate by  Paul  Revere.  Owned 
by  Thomas  S.  Collier,  Esquire,  New 
London,  Conn.,  41 
.8.  Btirial  of  the  Repealed  Stamp  Act. 
Caricature  by  unknown  hand.  Re- 
produced from  a  rare  and  old 
foreign  engraving,  47 

19.  Bostonians  in  Distress.  Contempo- 

raneous English  caricature. 

Facing  54 

20.  Singing  School.    From  the  engrav- 

ing by  Paul  Revere,  -       -  56 

21.  The  Res  cinders.    Caricature  by  Paul 

Revere,      -----  60 

22.  Silver  Punch-Bowl,  made  by  Paul 

Revere  and  presented  to  the  Non- 
Rescinders.     Drawn  by    Laskey,  63 


xviii 


LIST  OF  ILLUSTRATIONS. 


23.  Boston   Massacre,  March    5,  1770. 

From  the  engraving  by  Paul  Revere,  67 

24.  English  Reproduction    of    Revere  s 

"  Boston  Massacre?  From  the  en- 
graving in  possession  of  Bostonian 
Society ;  showing  also  the  frame 
which  contains  the  engraving,  and 
which  formerly  belonged  to  tea- 
owner  Rotch,  -       -       -  69 

25.  Reveres  Pen-and-ink  Plan  of  Mas- 

sacre, From  the  original  in  pos- 
session of  Hon.  Mellen  Chamber- 
lain,  73 

26.  North  Battery.    Heading  made  by 

Revere  for  Montrosses'  certificate 
of  membership.  The  copper-plate 
is  now  in  possession  of  Massachu- 
setts Historical  Society,     -       -  76 

27.  Facsimile   of  Part   of  Page  from 

Revere  s  Day-Book.  Taken  from 
the  original  volume  kindly  lent  by 
Joseph  Warren  Revere,  Esquire. 
Never  before  reproduced,      -       -  77 

28.  View  of  Boston,  Landing  of  British 

Troops  in  176S.     From  the  copper- 
plate by  Paul  Revere,        -       -  81 


LIST  OF  ILLUSTRATIONS. 


xix 


29.  Portrait  of  Samuel  Adams.  From 

the  engraving  made  for  the  Royal 
American  Magazine  by  Paul  Revere 
from  the  portrait  by  John  Singleton 
Copley,  87 

30.  Portrait  of  John  Hancock.  From 

the  engraving  made  for  the  Royal 
American  Magazine  by  Paul  Revere,  89 

31.  America    iji    Distress.  Caricature 

made  for  Royal  American  Maga- 
zine by  Paul  Revere,         -       -  93 

32.  Top   of  Bill- head  for  "  Cromwell's 

Head  Inn"  School  Street,  Boston. 
From  the  engraving  by  Paul  Re- 
vere,  -       -  -       -       -  95 

33.  Ulietea    Indian   Daiice.    From  the 

engraving  made  by  Paul  Revere 
for  the  first  American  edition  of 
Captain  Cook's  "  Voyages,"  issued 
by    Rivington,    the  Tory  printer,  97 

34.  New    Zealand  and  New  Holland 

Warriors.  From  the  engraving 
made  by  Paul  Revere  for  above 
edition  of  Cooks  "  Voyages,"    -  99 


XX 


LIST  OF  ILLUSTRATIONS. 


35.  Facsimile  of  Book-plate  belonging  to 

the  Greene  Family.  From  the  plate 
made  by  Paul  Revere,        -       -  102 

36.  Westerly    View  of  Harvard  College. 

From    the   copper-plate    by  Paul 
Revere.    Never  before  reproduced,  103 

37.  Seal  of  Phillips  Academy,  Andover. 

Probably  designed  and  engraved  by 
Paul  Revere,     -       -       -       -  105 

38.  A  New  Way  of  Paying  the  Excise- 

Man.    Contemporaneous  English 

caricature.  Facinor  106 

<_> 

39.  A  Love  Ditty.    Fac-simile  of  curious 

verse  written    by    Paul    Revere,  110 

40.  Portrait  of  Rachel  Revere.  Photo- 

gravure by  J.  H.  Daniels  from 
the  portrait  medallion  on  porcelain 
painted  by  John  Singleton  Cop- 
ley, in  possession  of  the  Revere 
family,  -  Facing  no 

41.  Fac-simile  of  Stanza  from  Dr.  O.  W. 

Holmes's  "  A  Ballad  of  the  Boston 
Tea-party,"      -       -       -       -  122 

42.  Fac-simile  of  the  Mohawk  Tea  Proc- 

lamation, -       -       -        123,  125 


LIST  OF  ILLUSTRATIONS. 


xxi 


43.  Destruction  of  Tea  in  Boston  Harbor, 

December  16,   1773.     From  the 
drawing  by  George  L.  Brown,  -  129 

44.  Facsimile  of  Extract  from  Diary  of 

John  Adams  concerning  Destruc- 
tion of  Tea.  From  the  Tea-Cen- 
tennial Celebration  in  the  Proceed- 
ings of  the  Massachusetts  Histori- 
cal Society,    -       -       -       Facing  130 

45.  A  Tea  Relic.    Woodcut  used  by  the 

kindness  of  the  well-known  anti- 
quarian, A.  O.  Crane,       -       -  135 

46.  Facsimile  of  Autograph  Letter  of 

Revere  to  John  Lamb,      -       138,  139 

47.  Tea-tax  Tempest,  or  the  Anglo-Ameri- 

can Revolution.    Reproduction  of  a 
foreign  engraving  bearing  date  1778,  141 

48.  The  Able  Doctor,  or  America  Swal- 

lowing the  Bitter  Draught.  Cari- 
cature  by  Paul   Revere,  -  151 

49.  Spanish   Treatment  at  Carthagena. 

From  the  engraving  by  Paul  Re- 
vere made  for  the  Royal  American 
Magazine,  -       -       -       -       -  163 


xxii 


LIST  OF  ILLUSTRATIONS. 


50.  Birthplace  of  American  Liberty.  By 

permission  of  Hon.  Nathaniel  F. 
Safford,  Milton,  Mass.,     -       -  167 

51.  Green  Dragon   Tavern.     From  an 

etching  by  J.  H.  Daniels,         -  181 
5  2.     Taking  the  Oath  at  the  Green  Dragon 
From    the    original    painting  by 
Laskey,    -       -       -       -       -  185 

53.  Facsimile  of  Autograph  Signattire  of 

Joshua  Bent  ley  ^        -       -       -  189 

54.  Revere  crossing  Charles  River.  From 

the    original  painting  by  Laskey,  191 

55.  Revere     escaping    British  Officers. 

Drawn  by  Laskey,    -       -       -  194 

56.  Dalliiis  Equestrian  Statue  of  Paul 

Revere.  From  a  photograph,  -  195 
5  7 .  Revere 's  Ride  to  L  exington .  "Shout- 
ing at  every  house  he  reaches,  start- 
ling the  affrighted  inmates  from 
their  slumbers  with  his  wild  halloo, 
this  strange  herald  of  danger 
thunders  on."  From  the  original 
painting  by  Laskey,  .  -  -  (  197 
58.    Lexington-Clarke  House.  Exterior 

view.    Drawn  by  Laskey,        -  200 


LIST  OF  ILLUSTRATIONS. 


xxiii 


59.  Lexington-Clarke  House.  Stairway. 

Drawn  by  Laskey,    -  201 

60.  Facsimile  of  Revere  s  Original  Ac- 

count of  Ride  to  Lexington.  This 
appears  by  the  kindness  of  Joseph 
Warren  Revere,  Esquire.  Never 
before  reproduce d%       -       -  214-220 

61.  Facsimile  of  Autograph  Signature  of 

fohn  Lamb,      -  240 

62.  Facsimile  of  first  and  last  Stanzas  of 

Longfellow's  poem,  "Paul  Revere  s 
Ride"        ....  242-244 

63.  Christ     Church.     From    a  photo- 

graph,      -.  -       -       -  248 

64.  "  One,  if  by  land ;  and  two,  if  by  sea." 

Newman  placing  the  lanterns  in 
the  steeple  of  Christ  Church. 
Drawn  by  Laskey,  -       -  251 

65.  Newmans  Sword.    Drawn  by  Las- 

key,  258 

66.  Facsimile  of  A  titograph  Signature  of 

Robert  Newman,       -       -       -  258 

67.  Facsimile  of  Autograph  Signature 

of  Rachel  Revere,      -       -       -  265 


xxiv 


LIST  OF  ILLUSTRATIONS. 


68.  Copper  Tea-kettle,  made  by  Revere. 

Formerly  belonged  to  John  Han- 
cock, now  the  property  of  the 
Bostonian  Society.  Drawn  by 
Laskey,  269 

69.  Silver    Teapot,    made    by  Revere, 

property  of  Mrs.  E.  Holbrook, 
New  York.  From  sketch  furnished 
by  John  H.  Buck,  New  York,  au- 
thor of  "  Old  Plate,  Ecclesiastical, 
Decorative,  and  Domestic,"      -  269 

70.  Castle  William,  Boston  Harbor.  Re- 

produced   from    Royal  American 
Magazine,         -  283 

71.  Facsimile  of  Atitograph  Signature 

of  General  Heath,  -  -  -  294 
7  2 .    Fac-sim He  of  Am togra ph  Sig n ature  of 

General  Sullivan,  -  -  -  304 
7  3 .    Fac-sim  He  of  Powder  Receipt  give  n  by 

Revere,     -  309 


When  not  otherwise  specified,  engravings  are  by  the  Lewis 
Engraving  Company. 


ANCESTRY  AND  EARLY  LIFE. 


PAUL  REVERE. 


CH  APTE  R  I. 

ANCESTRY    AND   EARLY  LIFE. 

The    Huguenots  —  The   Rivoires  —  Apollos  Rivoire 

—  Comes  to  America  —  Apprenticed  to  Goldsmith  — 
Visits    Guernsey  —  Marriage  —  Family  —  Paul  Revere 

—  Learns  his  Father's  Trade  —  Makes  and  Embellishes 
Silverware  — Engraves  Copper-Plate  —  Early  Military 
Service  —  Commissioned  by  Gov.  Shirley — His  History 
of  this  Service. 

FTER  the  Massacre  of  Saint 
Bartholomew,  August  24,  1572, 
many  Huguenots  left  France. 
Some  went  to  England,  some 
to  Holland,  and  many  to  the 
Islands  of  Jersey  and  Guernsey,  British  pos- 
sessions, in  the  English  Channel.  A  little 
over  a  century  later,  in  1685,  the  revocation 
of   the   Edict  of    Nantes,   by   Louis  XIV., 


4 


ANCESTRY  AND  EARLY 


L I  EE. 


took  place ;  and  many  thousands  more  of 
these  French  Huguenots  fled  from  their 
native  land,  and  sought  refuge  in  foreign 
countries.  In  these  asylums,  this  persecuted 
people  found  a  safe  retreat ;  and  one  in 
which  their  religious  opinions  were  toler- 
ated. 

Very  many  of  these  Huguenots,  both  be- 
fore and  after  the  revocation,  came  to  Amer- 
ica, and  established  themselves  in  the  different 
colonies.  Of  these,  Massachusetts  received  a 
large  number.  Some  settled  in  Oxford,  some 
in  Salem,  and  many  in  Boston.  These  Amer- 
ican Huguenots  lived  peaceful  and  industrious 
lives,  founded  families,  and  left  honored  mem- 
ories and  worthy  descendants. 

The  Huguenot  element  as  developed  in 
our  American  civilization  has  been  a  welcome 
and  beneficial  one.  This  is  very .  thoroughly 
and  analytically  considered  by  the  late  Rev. 
Charles  W.  Baird,  D.D.,  in  his  History 
of  Hugticnot  Emigration  to  America,  who 
says :  "  But  it  is  obvious,  that  the  little 
company  of  Huguenots  that  settled  in  Bos- 
ton, brought  with  them  qualities  that  were 


ANCESTRY  AND  EARL  T  LIFE. 


5 


needed  at  that  day.  They  brought  a  buoy- 
ancy and  a  cheerfulness,  that  must  have 
been  contagious,  even  amidst  pervading  aus- 
terity. They  brought  a  love  for  the  beau- 
tiful, that  showed  itself  in  the  culture  of 
flowers.  They  brought  religious  convictions, 
that  were  not  the  less  firm  because  accom- 
panied by  a  certain  moderation  and  pliancy  in 
things  not  held  of  vital  importance.  They 
brought  a  love  for  liberty,  that  was  none  the 
less  sincere  because  associated  with  a  tol- 
erance learned  in  the  school  of  suffering. 
Boston  surely  gained  by  the  admission  of  an 
element  in  its  population  that  possessed 
these  traits.  And  the  mispronounced  names 
from  beyond  the  seas,  that  stand  out  so  bold- 
ly on  the  page  of  its  history — names  such 
as  Bowdoin,  and  Faneuil,  and  Revere  —  recall 
in  the  flight  of  the  Huguenot  to  those  shores 
an  episode  not  only  pathetic,  but  important 
also  for  its  bearing  upon  social  and  public 
life  and  typical  character  in  New  England. 
.  .  .  Devoted  to  principle,  sturdy  in  morals, 
frugal,  industrious,  and  enterprising,  the  Hu- 
guenots closely  resembled  their  English  breth- 


6 


ANCESTRT  AND  EARLY  LIFE. 


ren  who  had  sought  the  New  World  for 
conscience'  sake.  .  ,  .  Very  few  races  have 
ever  suffered  more  for  conscience'  sake  than 
did  the  French  Huguenots.  There  is  not 
one  whose  wrongs  have  been  so  amply  and 
justly  revenged."  1 

Among  these  French  Huguenots  were 
Paul  Revere's  ancestors,  the  DeRivoires,  or 
Rivoires.  Of  the  Rivoires  that  fled  from 
France  during  these  times  of  persecution, 
was  Simon,  eldest  son  of  Jean  and  Magde- 
laine  (Malaperge)  Rivoire,  who  first  went  to 
Holland  and  afterward  settled  in  the  Island 
of  Guernsey.  On  leaving  France  he  took 
with  him  the  arms  of  the  family,  in  a  silver 
seal  ;  and  these  arms  were  afterwards  regis- 
tered in  the  French  Heraldry  Book,  in  the 
Heraldry  Office,  London,  England. 

Another  son  of  Jean  and  Magdelaine 
Rivoire,  was  Isaac,  who  in  1694  married 
Serenne  Lambert.  They  had  several  chil- 
dren, one  of  whom  was  named  Apollos,  the 
account  of  whose  birth,  in  the  handwriting 
of  his  father,  was  copied  from  a  record  of 

1  For  other  opinions  of  the  Huguenots,  see  Appendix  A. 


ANCESTRT  AND  EARL  T  LIFE.  7 


the  births  of  Jean  Rivoire's  children,  and 
sent    to    Paul   Revere,  Boston,  by  Mathias 


Revere  Coat-of-Arms. 

[Engraved  by  Paid  Revere  from  the  Ancestral  Seal.] 


Rivoire,  a  second  cousin,  of  Martel,  near 
St.  Foy,  France.1 

"  Apollos   Rivoire  our  son  was  born  the 

1  The  correspondence  from  which  this  and  other  facts  are 
derived,  took  place  during  the  years  from  1775  to  1787. 


8  ANCESTRY  AND  EAR  LI'  LIFE. 


thirtieth  of  November,  1702,  about  ten 
o'clock  at  night,  and  was  baptized  at  Rian- 
caud,  France.  Apollos  Rivoire  my  brother 
was  his  Godfather  and  Anne  Maulmon  my 
sister-in-law  his  Godmother.  He  set  out  for 
Guernsey  the  21st  of  November,  1 7 1 5."  1 

Very  soon  after  the  arrival  of  Apollos  in 
Guernsey,2   his    uncle    Simon    sent   him  to 

1  According  to  the  late  Gen.  Joseph  Warren  Revere,  of 
Morristown,  Pa.,  who  left  an  interesting  MS.  account  of 
the  DeRivoires,  the  result  of  his  researches  while  in 
France  in  1S75,  the  ancestors  of  the  Reveres  were  an 
ancient  and  noble  family.  He  says :  "  My  researches  in 
Vienne  and  its  vicinity  made  me  acquainted  with  several 
facts  of  which  I  was  previously  ignorant.  One  of  them  was 
that  Apollos  Rivoire  was  the  true  heir  and  lineal  represent- 
ative of  Simon  de  Rivoire,  and  that  our  branch  of  the 
family  is  consequently  the  legal  heir  of  the  family  at  the 
present  day.  Another  remains  proved  to  my  satisfaction  — 
that  all  the  other  heirs  having  become  extinct,  the  Amer- 
ican family  would  inherit  the  titles  and  estates  if  any  now 
remained  to  inherit. 

•'There  are  many  of  the  name  of  Rivoire  in  this  part  of 
France,  but  I  found  none  who  claimed  kinship  with  the 
ancient  family  of  the  Rivoires  of  Romagnieu. 

"  Vienne,  May  jt/i,  J.  W.  Revere."  1 

1  See  Appendix  B. 

2  One  of  that  chain  of  islets,  mantled  in  fog  or  hidden 
so  completely  by  bursting  billows,  which  would  serve  as 
stepping-stones    to    a    giant    who    sought  to  invade  Great 


ANCESTR  T  AND  EAR  LI'  LIFE. 


9 


Boston,  with  instructions  to  his  correspond- 
ent to  have  Apollos  learn  the  goldsmith's 
trade,  agreeing  to  defray  all  his  expenses. 
When  Apollos  arrived  in  Boston  he  was 
thirteen  years  of  age,  and  he  at  once  began 
his  apprenticeship.  He  learned  his  trade  of 
John  Cony  of  Boston,  who  died  August  20, 
1722;  and  according  to  the  inventory  of 
his  estate  in  Suffolk  Records,  lib.  22, 
page  816,  Rivoire  did  not  serve  his  full 
apprenticeship,  for  there  is  an  item  to  this 
effect :  "  Paul  Rivoire's  time  about  three 
years,"  which  was  valued  at  ^30,  and  still 
another  item  :  "  Cash  Received  for  Paul 
Rivoire's  Time,  more  than  it  was  prized 
at,  £10"  which  shows  that  Cony's  admin- 
istrator received  a  total  of  £40. 

During  the  year  1723,  when  he  was 
twenty-one  years  of  age,  he  returned  to 
Guernsey,  on  a  visit  to  his  relatives ;  but 
as  he  had  determined  to  make  America  his 
home,  he  soon  after  bade  them  farewell  and 
sailed  for  Boston. 

Britain  from  the  Continent. — Lit.  LiJ^  and  Poetical  Works 
of  Victor  Hugo,  by  H.  L.  Williams,  p.  28. 


IO 


ANCESTRY  AND  EARLY  LIFE. 


He  now  established  himself  in  the  busi- 
ness of  a  gold  and  silversmith,  and  soon 
after  changed  his  name  to  Paul  Revere. 
This  change  of  name  was  made  because  of 
the  difficulties  arising  from  pronouncing  "  his 
ancestral  family  name  in  the  English  tongue." 
Revere  and  Rivoire  were  variously  used  for 
a  while,  and  it  was  several  years  before  the 
new  surname  became  firmly  established.  In 
the  list  of  subscribers  printed  in  Samuel 
Mather's  life  of  his  father,  the  "  Very  Rev- 
erend and  Learned  Cotton  Mather,  D.  D. 
&  F.  R.  S.,  Late  Pastor  of  the  North 
Church  in  Boston,  who  Died  Feb.  13,  1727- 
8,"  his  name  appears  as  "  Mr.  Paul  Rivoire, 
Goldsmith."  1 

After  he  had  been  in  business  a  few 
years,  he  married,  June  19,  1729,  Deborah 
Hitchborn,  who  was  born  in  Boston,  January 
29,  1704.  They  had  a  large  family  of  chil- 
dren, twelve  in  number,  the  third  of  whom 
was  Paul,  who  was  born  December  21,  1734, 


1  The  name  was  often  misspelled.  In  the  reports  of  the 
Boston  Record  Commissioners  it  appears  as  Reviere,  Reveire, 
Reverie  and  Revear. 


ANCESTRY  AND  EAR  I.  T  LIFE. 


O.  S.,  or  January  i,  1735,  N.  S. ;  he  was 
baptized  the  next  day.1 

At  the  time  of  Paul's  birth,  the  Revere 
residence  was  probably  on  North  Street, 
now  Hanover,  opposite  Clark  Street,  near 
the  corner  of  Love  Lane,  now  Tileston 
Street.  This  is  indicated  by  the  following 
advertisement  in  The  Weekly  News  Letter 
for  May  21,  1730:  "Paul  Revere,  Gold- 
smith, is  Removed  from  Capt.  Pitt's,  at  the 

1  In  the  Records  of  the  New  Brick  Church,  for  1722- 
1775,  as  published  in  the  New  England  Historical  and 
Genealogical  Register,  vol.  19,  p.  235,  the  following  are 
given  under  the  name  of  Revere : 


Of  these  only  those  born  previous  to  1760  were  children 
of  the  original  Paul ;  the  rest  were  grandchildren. 


Deborah,  owned  cov.  Feb.  6,  1731-2; 
Deborah,  bap.  Feb.   27,  1731-2; 


Paul,         bap.  Dec.  22,  1734; 

Frances,    bap.  July    i8>  1736; 

Thomas,    bap.  Aug.  27,  1738; 


Thomas,    bap.  Jan.    13,  1739-40; 

John,        bap.  Oct.   11,    1741  ; 


Elizabeth,  bap.  Jan.    20,  1744-5; 


Paul,  bap.  Jan.    13,  1760; 

Sarah.,  bap.  Jan.     3,  1762; 

Mary,  bap.  April    1,  1764; 

Frances,  bap.  Feb.  23,  1766; 

John  Revear,  bap.  May  10,  1767; 

Edward,  bap.  Oct.  28,  1768; 

Anna,  bap.  March,  1771 ; 

Hannah,  bap.  April  18,  1773. 


12  ANCESTRY  AND  EARLY  LIFE. 


Town  Dock,  to  the  North  End  over  against 
Col.  Hutchinson's."  Col.  Thomas  Hutchin- 
son was  then  living  on  the  south-easterly 
corner  of  North  and  Clark  Streets.  The 
New  North  Church,  then,  as  now,  occupied 
the  opposite  corner.  Without  doubt  Re- 
vere's  shop  and  homestead  were  in  the  same 
building. 

He  was  a  member  of  the  "  New  Brick," 
or  "  Cockerel  Church,"  and  the  following 
fac-simile  is  from  a  subscription  paper  for 
that  church,  which  is  now  in  the  possession 
of  Rowland  Ellis,  Esq.,  of  Newton  Centre, 
formerly  a  resident  of  the  North  End,  Bos- 
ton, and  an  attendant  upon  this  same 
church.  This  paper  is  drawn  up  in  a  large, 
firm  handwriting,  and  is  as  follows : 

"  We  the  Subscribers  usually  attending 
the  Publick  Worship  with  the  Church  & 
Congregation  of  which  the  Revd.  Mess5.  \Vm. 
Welsted  &  Ellis  Gray  are  the  present  Pas- 
tors do  voluntarily  subscribe  the  several  Sums 
arfixd  to  our  names  to  be  applyd  to  the 
Support  of  said  Pastors.    And  we  promise 


ANCESTRY  AND  EARLY  LIFE.  I  3 

the  said  Sums  weekly  by  Contribution  &  to 
mark  the  same  with  the  first  Letters  of 
our  Names  or  the  numbers  of  our  Pews. 
And  in  case  it  shall  appear  to  the  Com- 
mittee of  the  Proprietors  Twelve  months 
after  this  date  that  we  have  been  deficient 
in  the  respective  Sums  now  engag'd  we 
promise  to  pay  Deacon  John  Tudor  so 
much  as  said  Committee  shall  determine  we 
have  been  deficient  to  be  applyd  to  the 
purpose  aforesaid. 

<;  Witness  our  hands  in  Boston,  January 
the   28,  1747." 

The  first  name  on  the  paper  is  that  of 
"  Thomas  Hutchinson  Twenty  shillings  i. — . 
—  Old  Tenor." 

Then  follow  seventy-six  other  names ; 
and  among  them  that  of 


Paul  Revere,  Senior. 


1  Paul  Revere,  Senior,  died  in  Boston,  January  22,  1754. 
His  wife  died  May,  1777. 


ANCESTRY  AND  EARLY  LIFE. 


Paul,    the    son,   was    educated    at  the 


Tankard,  Cup,  and  Spoon.1 


net  Street,  with  which  school  the  famous 
pedagogue,  John  Tileston,  was  connected  as 

1  This  Tankard  was  made  by  Paul  Revere,  senior,  and  has 
the  name  of  Rebecca  Goodwill,  1747,  engraved  upon  it.  It 
weighs  29^  ounces,  and  now  belongs  to  Mrs.  William  H. 
Emery,  of  Newton,  Mass.  The  Cup  and  Spoon  were  made  by 
the  son,  and  belong  to  Henry  H.  Edes,  Esq.,  of  Charlestown, 
who  also  owns  other  articles  of  silverware  made  by  him.  All 
other  articles  of  silverware  sketched  for  these  volumes  were 
made  by  the  son,  Paul  Revere. 


ANCESTRY  AND  EARLY  LIFE. 


15 


pupil,  usher,  and  master,  for  a  period  of 
eighty  years. 

After  leaving  school,  he  entered  his 
father's  shop,  and  learned  the  trade  of  a 
gold  and  silversmith.    He  possessed  a  natu- 


Silver  Sugar  Basket.1 


ral  taste  for  drawing,  and  became  very  skil- 
ful in  the  use  of  the  graver ;  executing 
most  of  the   embellishments  on  the  silver- 


1  Belongs  to  Hon.  Martin  P.  Kennard,  late  Assistant  United 
States  Treasurer,  at  Boston. 


i6 


ANCESTRY  AND  EARLY  LIFE. 


ware  then  manufactured  in  Boston.  For 
many  years  his  skill  in  design,  and  work- 
manship in  silverware  was  very  exten- 
sive.   Many  are    the   cups,    spoons,  mugs, 


Silver  Cream  Ewer.1 


pitchers,  tankards,  and  other  articles  of 
beautiful  patterns,  made  by  him,  and  still 
owned  by  our  New  England  families  ;  some 
are    now   in  everyday   use ;    all   are  treas- 


1  Belongs  to  Mrs.  John  C.  Lodge,  Boston, 


ANCESTRY  AND  EARLY  LIFE. 


17 


ured  relics.  "  If  not  as  famous  or  gifted  as 
Cellini,  abundant  monuments  remain  to 
prove  that  Revere  was  also  an  artist,  as 
praiseworthy  for  the  beauty  and  grace  of 
his  artistic  creations  as  for  their  excellent 
handiwork." 

Long  practice  in  the  successful  embel- 
lishment of  silverware  caused  him  to  learn 
the  art  of  engraving  on  copper-plate,  entirely 
self-taught ;  and  numerous  specimens  of  his 
handiwork  in  this  line  are  still  in  existence, 
treasured  memorials  of  a  skilful  and  patriotic 
hand.  Many  of  his  pictures  were  political 
caricatures,  and  engravings  of  historic  scenes 
closely  connected  with  the  struggle  for  In- 
dependence. 

Paul's  father  was  not  only  a  very  in- 
dustrious man,  but  strict  and  austere  in 
the  requirements  of  the  tenets  of  his  relig- 
ious belief ;  and  it  was  with  much  regret 
and  displeasure  that  he  saw  Paul  attending, 
as  he  did  for  a  while,  the  Rev.  Dr.  Jon- 
athan Mayhew's  "  West  Church  "  on  Lynde 
Street,  instead  of  that  of  his  own  pastor. 
He  became  a  firm  friend  of  this  minister, 


I  s 


ANCESTRT  AND  EARLY  LIFE. 


and  one  of  his  first  attempts  at  engraving 
was  the  execution  of  a  portrait  of  this 
preacher-friend,  which  was  used  in  one  of 
the  volumes  of  Mayhew's  published  ser- 
mons ;  it  was  crude,  and  a  not  very 
flattering  production.  So  great  was  the 
solicitude  of  the  father  at  this  time,  that 
he  often  expostulated  with  his  son,  but  in 
vain ;  and  finally  there  came  a  blow.  "  It 
was  good  discipline,  early  developing  a  sense 
of  injustice  at  encroachments  on  personal 
rights ;  educating  him  for  that  conflict  of 
his  maturer  years,  when  he  was  to  help  in 
establishing  on  more  national  foundations  the 
civil  and  religious  liberties  of  his  country." 1 
Paul  early  exhibited  a  taste  for  the  mili- 
tary service,  and  while  the  fourth  inter- 
colonial war  between  England  and  France 
was  in  progress,  he  joined  the  second  cam- 
paign against  Crown  Point,  on  Lake  Cham- 
plain,  then  in  possession  of  the  French, 
which  was  organized  in  1756,  and  placed 
under  the  command  of  General  John  Wins- 

1  Thomas  C.  Amorv,  in  Student  and  Schoolmate  for 
1869,  p.  216. 


ANCESTR2"  AND  EARL  T  LIFE. 


19 


low,  who  led  the  expedition  against  the 
Acadians  in  1755. 

He  was  commissioned  by  Gov.  Shirley,  as 
second  lieutenant  in  the  company  of  artillery. 
His  commission  was  as  follows : 

"  Province  of  the  William  Shirley  Es- 
Massachusetts  Bay    quire  Captain  General 


Admiral   of  the    Same,   General  and  Com- 


in  North  America. 

"  To  Paul  Revere  Gentleman  —  Greet- 
ing. By  Virtue  of  the  Power  and  Authority 
in  and  by  his  Majesty's  Royal  Commission 
to  me  granted  to  be  Captain  General  &ca : 
over  this  His  Majesty's  Province  of  the 
Massachusetts  Bay  aforesaid  I  do  by  these 
Presents  reposing  especial  Trust  and  Con- 
fidence in  your  Loyalty,  Courage,  and  good 
conduct,  constitute  and  appoint  you  the  said 
Paul    Revere    to    be  Second   Lieutenant  of 


mander  in  Chief  of  all  his  Majesty's  Forces 


20  ANCESTRY  AND  EARLY  LIFE. 


the  Train  of  Artillery,  to  be  employed  in 
the  intended  Expedition  against  Crown 
Point  under  the  command  of  Richard 
Gridley  Esquire,  in  the  Forces  raised  or  to 
be  raised  within  this  and  the  neighbouring 
Governments  whereof  the  Honourable  John 
Winslow  Esquire  is  General  and  Commander 
in  Chief. 

"  You  are  therefore  carefully  and  dilligently 
to  discharge  the  Duty  of  Second  Lieutenant 
in  the  said  Train  in  ordering  and  exercising 
the  Great  Artillery  &ca:  both  Inferiour 
Officers  and  Montrosses,  and  to  keep  them 
in  good  Order  and  Discipline:  hereby  com- 
manding them  to  obey  you  as  their  Second 
Lieutenant,  unci  yourself  to  observe  and 
follow  such  Orders  and  Instructions  as  you 
shall  from  time  to  time  receive  from  the 
Commander  in  Chief,  or  other  your  Supe- 
riour  for  his  Majesty's  service,  according  to 
Rules  and  Discipline  of  War  pursuant  to 
the  Trust  reposed  in  you. 

"  Given  under  my  Hand  and  Seal  at 
Arms  at  Boston,  the  eighteenth  day  of 
February  In  the  twenty  ninth  year  of  the 


ANCESTR  Y  AND  EARL  T  LIFE. 


21 


reign  of  his  Majesty  King  George  the  Sec- 
ond, Annoque   Domini  1756. 

"  By  His  Excellency's  Command 
"  Thos  Clarke 
"  Dp*  Secry."  1 

He  gives  the  history  of  this  service  in  a 
certificate  written  by  him,  for  some  purpose, 
sixty  years  afterwards,  and  only  two  years 
before  he  died  : 

I  Paul  Revere  of  Boston,  in  the  County 
of  Suffolk,  and  Commonwealth  of  Massa- 
chusetts :  Esqr : ,  of  Lawfull  Age,  do  testify 
&  say,  that  in  the  Year  of  our  Lord, 
1756,  I  was  a  Second  Lieutenant  in  a  Com- 
pany of  Artillery,  on  an  Expedition  against 
the  French  at  Crown  point :  the  Artillery 
was  commanded  by  Richard  Gridley  Esq1":, 

1  From  a  copy  of  the  commission,  now  in  possession  of  a 
great-grandson,  Paul  Reveie,  Esq.,  of  Morristown,  N.  J.  A 
portion  of  the  original  commission  is  owned  by  another 
great-grandson,  Joseph  Warren  Revere,  Esq.,  of  Canton, 
Mass.,  and  from  this  is  traced  the  Governor's  signature. 


2  2 


ANCESTRY 


AND  EARLY  LIFE. 


who  at  the  same  time  Commanded  a  Regi: 
ment  of  Infantry,  on  the  same  Expedition. 
(I  was  then  twenty  one  Years  of  Age.) 
The  Regiment,  and  Artillery,  were  stationed 
at  Fort  William  Henry,  on  Lake  George, 
from  the  month  of  May  to  the  month  of 
November  of  the  .  same  year.  The  Army 
was  Commanded  by  General  Winslow  as 
commander  -  in  -  Chief  ;  and  by  General  Ly- 
man as   Lieutenant  General. 

"  Paul  Revere. 
"Boston,   April  27th,   18 16"  1 

1  Copied  from  the  original  autograph  in  the  possession  of 
Dr.  John  S.  H.  Fogg,  of  South  Boston,  Mass. 


MARRIAGE,  HOME,  AND  BUSINESS. 


CHAPTER  II. 


MARRIAGE,  HOME,  AND  BUSINESS. 

Resumes  Trade  —  Marriage  —  Home  on  Fish  Street 
—  North  Square  Homestead — Boston  Massacre  Trans- 
parencies —  New  Brick  Church  —  First  Engravings  — 
Stamp-Act  Illustrations. 


FTER   this   experience  in  military  life, 


JT\  Revere  resumed  the  peaceful  duties 
of  his  trade,  as  gold  and  silversmith.  Very 
soon  after,  August  17,  1757,  he  married  Sarah 
Orne,  a  native  of  Boston,  who  was  born 
April  7,  1736.  Just  where  he  lived  after 
his  marriage  is  not  known ;  but  five  years 
later  his  home  was  on  Fish  (now  North) 
Street,  near  the  head  of  Clark's  Wharf. 

This  was  afterwards  Hancock's  Wharf, 
and  was  on  the  northerly  side  of  what  is 
now  Lewis  Wharf.  This  was  without 
doubt  the  house  referred  to  in  his  Day-book, 


26         MARRIAGE,  HOME,  AND  BUSINESS. 


chronicled  under  date  of  November  2,  1762, 
as  follows :  "  This  Day  I  hired  a  house  of 
Docr.  John  Clark  Esqr.  Joyning  to  Mr. 
Cocran  at  Sixteen  Pounds  Lawfull  Money 
a  year."  Here  he  lived  and  carried  on 
his  goldsmith's  trade,  adding  thereto,  as  the 
years  went  by,  other  industries  of  quite  a 
different  nature,  to  be  referred  to  hereafter. 
In  1770,  he  bought  a  house  in  North 
Square,  then  one  of  the  best  localities  in 
the  town,  containing  some  of  the  finest  resi- 
dences. It  was,  indeed,  the  Court-end  of 
Boston.  For  this  he  paid  ^"213,  6s.  8d., 
giving  a  mortgage  on  the  same  for  £160, 
which  was  paid  off  in  due  time.1  For 
about  a  quarter  of  a  century,  and  all 
through  the  years  of  the  War  of  the  Rev- 

1  In  the  proceedings  of  the  Bostonian  Society,  for 
1886,  page  28,  there  is  printed  a  deed  given  by  Paul  and 
Sarah  Revere,  dated  June  10,  1771 ,  conveying  a  small  por- 
tion of  this  land  lying  next  the  "  New  Brick  Meeting  house" 
to  Manasseh  Marston.  The  following  memorandum,  not 
there  given,  is  penned  on  the  back  of  this  deed : 

Sept.  ij.  177b- 
"  This  i*  to  tell  them  that  ones  this  a  state  after  me 
that  Paul  Revere  have  Bult  a  Barn  &  set  the  Barn  on 
my  Land  one  feet  which  he  Is  to  Remove  Whenever  the 
Person  that  ones  this  Land  shall  Desire  him  or  them 
that  ones  his  Land  after  him." 


MARRIAGE,  HOME,  AND  BUSINESS.  2J 


olution,  this  was  his  homestead ;  and  here 
most  of  his  large  family  of  children  were 
born. 

This  old  house,  with  its  antique,  pro- 
jecting upper  stories,  was  built  soon  after 
the  great  fire  of  1676.  It  is  still  standing, 
one  of  the  old  landmarks,  and  is  in  very 
fair  condition.  Its  upper  stories  are  occupied 
as  a  tenement,  while  its  street  floor  is  util- 
ized as  a  shop.  It  has  undergone  some 
changes ;  having  now  four  windows  in  a 
row  instead  of  the  original  three,  while 
"  the  present  unsightly  shop  leaves  little 
trace  of  the  quiet  colonial  parlor  which  it 
has  invaded.  The  interior  has  been  re- 
modelled several  times,  although  the  kitchen 
seems  to  have  been  left  very  much  as  it  was."1 

It  was  from  these  chamber  windows 
that  Revere  exhibited  a  unique  series  of 
transparencies  for  the  first  anniversary 
exercises  of  the  Boston  Massacre,  on  the 
5th  of  March,  1771.  In  the  south  window 
was  the  appearance  of  the  ghost  of  Chris- 

1  Rambles  i?i  Old  Boston,  by  Rev.  Edward  G.  Porter,  p. 
320. 


28         MARRIAGE,  HOME,  AND  BUSINESS. 


topher  Snider,  "  with  one  of  his  fingers  in 
the  wound,  endeavoring  to  stop  the  blood 
issuing    therefrom ;    near    him    his  friends 


Homestead  of  Paul  Revere,  North  Square. 

[Present  Appearance.] 


weeping  ;  at  a  small  distance,  a  monu- 
mental pyramid  with  his  name  on  the  top, 


MARRIAGE,  HOME,  AND  BUSINESS.  29 


and  the  names  of  those  killed  on  the  fifth 
of  March  round  the  base;"  underneath  was 
this  inscription : 

"  Snider's  pale  ghost  fresh  bleeding  stands, 
And  vengeance  for  his  death  demands." 

In  the  next  window  were  represented  the 
soldiers  drawn  up  firing  at  the  people  as- 
sembled before  them ;  the  dead  on  the 
ground,  the  wounded  falling,  and  blood 
streaming  from  their  wounds  ;  over  this 
was  written  :  "  Foul  Play."  In  the  third 
window,  was  the  figure  of  a  woman,  repre- 
senting America,  sitting  on  the  stump  of 
a  tree,  with  a  staff  in  her  hand  with  the 
cap  of  liberty  on  its  top,  one  foot  on  the 
head  of  a  grenadier,  lying  prostrate,  grasp- 
ing a  serpent,  her  finger  pointing  to  the 
tragedy.1  The  bells  of  the  town  tolled 
from  twelve  to  one  o'clock  noon,  and  from 
nine  to  ten  o'clock  in  the    evening.  Dr. 

1  "The  spectators,"  said  the  Boston  Gazette,  "were  struck 
with  solemn  silence,  and  their  countenances  were  covered  with 
a  melancholy  gloom." 


30         MARRIAGE,  HOME,  AND  BUSINESS. 


Thomas  Young  delivered  the  anniversary 
oration  in  the  Manufactory  House.1 

After  Revere's  marriage  he  continued  a 
constant  attendant  of  the  "  New  Brick 
Church,"  on  Middle,  now  Hanover  Street. 
By  the  union  of  the  "  Second  Church," 
which  was  on  North  Square,  with  the  "  New 
Brick,"  the  latter,  in  1789,  became  the 
"  Second  Church."  It  was  also  known  as 
the  "  Cockerel  Church."  2  For  many  years 
Revere,  who  was  a  pew  proprietor,  served 
upon  the  Standing  Committee  of  this  Church, 
exercising  great  care  and  consideration ;  3 
"  for  wherever  he  was,  he  was  active  and 
prominent." 

One  of  his  earliest  productions,  as  an 
engraver,  was  an  allegorical  representation 
of  the  "  Stamp  Act "  troubles.    His  art  was 

1  James  S.  Loring,  in  Hundred  Boston  Orators,  pp.  24,  25. 

2  So  named  from  the  cockerel  vane,  made  by  Deacon  Shem 
Drowne,  in  1721,  which  did  duty  there  for  one  hundred  and 
forty-eight  years,  and  is  now  doing  service  on  the  "  Shepard 
Memorial  Church,"  of  Cambridge. 

3  Letter  of  Rowland  Ellis,  Esq.,  July  19,  1888,  whose 
father's  pew  was  next  to  Revere's. 


MARRIAGE,  HOME,  AND  BUSINESS. 


31 


always  used  in  favor  of  the  people  ;  of  the 
masses  ;  he  was  quick  at  perceiving  the 
striking  features  of  the  hour ;  and  his  ready 
genius  to  portray  them  made  him  the  "  off- 
hand artist  of  many  caricatures  intended  to 
bring  ridicule  upon  the  enemy,  and  the 
author  of  various  sketches  of  interesting 
scenes  of  which  he  was  an  eye  witness."  1 

"  His  bold  attempts  at  copper-plate  en- 
graving are  rude  enough  to  be  sure ;  but 
they  were  considered  good  at  the  time,  and 
were  vastly  better  than  nothing.  His  keen 
sense  of  humor  found  congenial  employ- 
ment in  the  caricatures  of  political  events 
which  issued  frequently  from  his  shop  and 
obtained  a  wide  popularity."  2 

The  inscription  for  the  "Allegory"  on 
Page  33  is  as  follows  : 

"America!  see  thy  free  born  sons  advance 
And  at  thy  Tyrant  point  the  threats  Lance! 
Who  with  grim  Horror  opes  his  Hell-like  Jaws, 

1  Memorial  of  Paul  Joseph  and  Edward  H.  R.  Revere,  by 
Robert  P.  Rogers  and  Maria  A.  Revere,  p.  8. 

2  Rambles  in  Old  Boston,  bv  Rev.  Edward  G.  Porter, 
p.  322. 


32        MARRIAGE,  HOME,  AND  BUSINESS. 


And   MAGNA  CHARTA  grasps  between  his 
Claws. 

Lo  BOSTON   brave!   unstain'd  by  Placemen's 
Bribe 

'  Attack  the  Monster  and  his  venal  Tribe.' 

See  loyal  Hampden  to  his  Country  true, 

Present  his  Weapon  to  the  odious  Crew  ; 

See  'fore  him  prostrate  treacherous  PYM  doth  fall 

And  A-Sejanus  loud  for  Mercy  call ! 

Whilst    brave    RHODE    ISLAND,    &  NEW 

YORK  support, 
HAMPDEN  and  FREEDOM,   in   their  brave 

Effort  : 

Front  to  VIRGINIA,  bold  NEW  HAMPSHIRE 

stands 

All  firmly  sworn  to  shake  off  slavish  Bands 
And  each  united  Province  faithful  joins 
Against  the  Monster  and  his  curst  designs, 
Mounted  aloft  perfidious  H  —  k  you  see, 
Scorned  by  his  Country,  fits  the  Rope  &  Tree ; 
This  be  the  real  Fate  !  a  fittest  Place 
For  Freedom's  Foes  a  selfish  scornful  Race  ! 
'  Above  behold  where  Spite  &  Envy  squirt 
Their  VENOM  on  the  Heads  they  cannot  hurt ; 
But  lo  MINERVA  with  her  Spear  and  Shield' 
Appears  with  Hopes  to  make  the  Harpies  yield." 

A  card  accompanying   the  plate  in  the 


MARRIAGE,  HOME,  AND  BUSINESS.  35 


possession  of  the  family,  in  Revere's  hand- 
writing, gives  this  description:  "The  odious 
Stamp  Act  represented  by  the  Dragon  con- 
fronted by  Boston  with  drawn  sword.  The 
colonies  New  York  and  Rhode  Island  sup- 
port Hampden.  New  Hampshire  and  Vir- 
ginia with  the  other  United  Colonies  are 
also  represented.  While  from  the  Liberty 
Tree  hangs  the  officer  of  the  Crown."  1 

This  famous  act  was  the  subject  of  another 
plate  produced  by  Revere.  When  the  wait- 
ing inhabitants  of  Boston  were  gladdened 
with  the  "  important  account  of  the  Repeal 
of  the  American  Stamp  Act,1'  brought  by 
the  brigantine  Harrison,  Captain  Shubael 
Coffin,  on  the  16th  of  May,  1766,  there  were 
great  demonstrations  of  joy.  The  bells  of 
the  churches  were  rung,  guns  were  dis- 
charged in  different  parts  of  the  town,  ships 
displayed  their  colors,  the  streets  were  filled 
with  music,  and  in  the  ^evening  there  were 

1  The  l<  Great  Tree  "  stood  on  the  corner  of  Washington  and 
Essex  Streets.  It  was  called  "Liberty  Tree"  from  August 
14,  1765,  when  the  effigy  of  Mr.  Oliver,  the  Stamp  officer,  was 
hung  thereon. 


36         MARRIAGE,  HOME,  AND  BUSINESS. 


bonfires.  In  the  afternoon  of  that  day  the 
Selectmen  met  and  appointed  Monday,  the 
19th,  as  a  day  of  general  rejoicing.  Great 
preparations  were  made  for  this  celebration. 
Very  early  in  the  morning  all  the  bells  in 
town  were  rung ;  banners,  flags  and  stream- 
i  ers  were  displayed  ;  drums  and  martial  music 

filled  the  air  ;  guns  were  discharged  from 
different  parts  of  the  town  during  the  day. 
In  the  evening  there  was  a  general  illumina- 
tion, and  on  the  Com- 
mon a  great  display 
of  fireworks.  There 
had  been  erected  on 
the  Common  an  obe- 
lisk, or  pyramid,  which 
was  intended  to  be  re- 
moved after  the  cel- 
ebration, and  placed 
under  the  famous 
"  Liberty  Tree "  on 
the  corner  of  Wash- 
ington and  Essex  Streets ;  but,  by  some  acci- 
dent during  the  evening,  it  took  fire  and  was 
destroyed.    It  was  designed  by  Revere,  and 


Liberty  Tree  Lantern. 

[Belongs  to  Bostonian  Society.} 


MARRIAGE,  HOME,  AND  BUSINESS.  39 


he  had  prepared  and  issued  a  descriptive 
plate  before  the  celebration  took  place. 
When  Samuel  G.  Drake  published  his  "  His- 
tory of  Boston,"  only  one  impression  of  this 
plate  was  known  to  be  in  existence,  and 
that  belonged  to  Mr.  John  F.  Eliot,  of 
Boston.  In  1881,  R.  D.  Child  and  A.  O. 
Crane  of  Boston,  published  a  fac-simile  of 
this  print.  Since  then  the  original  plate 
has  been  found.  It  belongs  to  Thomas  S. 
Collier,  of  New  London,  Conn.  Like  most 
of  Reveres  copper-plates,  both  sides  were 
utilized.  On  the  other  side  is  a  finely  em- 
bellished certificate  of  membership  for  the 
Masonic  Fraternity. 

The  plate  is  thirteen  and  a  half  inches 
long,  and  nine  and  a  half  wide.  On  the 
top  is  this  inscription:  "A  VIEW  of  the 
OBELISK  erected  under  LIBERTY-TREE 
in  Boston  on  the  Rejoicings  for  the  Repeal 
of  the  Stamp  Act  1766."1 

At  the  bottom  :  "  To  every  Lover  of 
LIBERTY  this  Plate  is  humbly  dedicated 

1  As  the  plate  was  prepared  before  the  event  it  does  not 
indicate  that  it  was  first  erected  on  the  Common. 


40        MARRIAGE,  HOME,  AND  BUSINESS. 


by  her  true  born  SONS  in  BOSTON,  New 
England."  The  four  sides  of  the  obelisk  are 
represented,  each  containing  four  heads,  a 
sketch  and  ten  descriptive  lines.  On  the 
first  side  the  four  portraits  are:  "  D.  Y  —  k," 
Duke  of  York  ;  "  M  —  q  —  sR  —  m,"  Marquis 
of  Rockingham  ;  "  Q.  C,"  Queen  Charlotte ; 
"  K.  G.  Ill,"  King  George  III. 
The  verse  is  : 

"  O  thou,  whom  next  to  Heavn   we  most  revere 
Fair  LIBERTY  !  thou  lovely  Goddess  hear  ! 
Have  we  not  woo'd  thee,  won  thee,  held  thee  long, 
Lain  in  thy  Lap  &  melted  on  thy  Tongue. 
Thro  Death  &  Dangers  rugged  paths  pursu'd 
And  led  thee  smiling  to  this  SOLITUDE. 
Hid  thee  within  our  Hearts  most  golden  Cell 
And  brav'd  the  Powers  of  Earth  &  Powers  of 
Hell. 

GODDESS  !  we  cannot  part,  thou  must  not  fly  ; 
Be  SLAVES!    we  dare  to  Scorn  it  —  dare  to 
die." 

Beneath  is  the  sketch :  "  America  recum- 
bent and  dejected,  in  the  form  of  an  Indian 
chief,  under  a  pine  tree,  the  angel  of  Liberty 
hovering  over ;  the   Prime   minister  advanc- 


MARRIAGE,  HOME,  AND  BUSINESS.  43 


ing  with  a  chain,  followed  by  one  of  the 
bishops,  and  others,  Bute  clearly  designated 
by  his  Scotch  plaid,  and  gaiters  ;  over  head, 
flying  towards  the  Indian,  with  the  stamp 
act  in  his  right  claw,  is  the  Devil ;  of  whom 
it  is  manifest  our  patriotic  sires  had  a  very 
clever  conception."  1  This  is  entitled,  "  Amer- 
ica in  distress,  apprehending  the  total  loss 
of  LIBERTY." 

On  the  second  side:  "G  —  1  C  —  y," 
General  Conway;  "L  —  d  T  —  d,"  Lord 
Townsend  ;  "C  —  1  B  —  e,"  Colonel  Barre  ; 
"  W  —  m   P— t,"  William  Pitt. 

"  While  clanking  Chains  &  Curses  shall  salute 
Thine  Ears  remorseless  G  —  le,  thine  O  B  —  e 
To  you  blest  PATRIOTS  !  we  our  Cause  submitt 
Illustrious  CAMDEN  !  Britains  Guardian  PITT. 
Recede  not,  frown  not,  rather  let  us  be 
Depriv'd  of  being,  than  of  LIBERTY. 
Let  fraud  or  malice  blacken  all  our  Crimes 

1  The  descriptions  of  these  sketches  beneath  the  lines  are 
from  Dealings  -with  the  Dead,  by  "A  Sexton  of  the  Old 
School"  (Lucius  Manlius  Sargent).  The  lines  were  written  by 
Revere,  as  was  the  case  with  most  of  his  plates  having  inscrip- 
tions beneath  the  engraving. 


44        MARRIAGE,  HOME,  AND  BUSINESS. 


No  disaffection  stains  these  peaceful  Climes ; 
0  save  us,  shield  us  from  impending  Woes 
The  foes  of  Britain,  only  are  our  Foes." 

Beneath  is  the  sketch :  "  America,  on  one 
knee,  pointing  over  her  shoulder  towards  a 
retreating  group,  composed,  as  the  chain 
and  the  plaid  inform  us,  of  the  Prime  Min- 
ister Bute,  and  company,  upon  whose  heads 
a  thunder-cloud  is  bursting.  At  the  same 
time  America  —  the  Indian,  as  before  — 
supplicates  the  aid  of  others,  whose  leader 
is  being  crowned,  by  Fame,  with  a  laurel 
wreath.  The  enormous  nose  —  a  great  help 
to  identification — marks  the  Earl  of  Chat- 
ham ;  Camden  may  be  known  by  his  wig; 
and  Barre  by  his  military  air."  The  title  is, 
"She  implores  the  aid  of  her  PATRONS." 
On  the  third  side  :  "  L  —  d  D  —  h,"  Lord 
Dartmouth;  "A  —  n  B  — d,"  Alderman  Beck- 
ford  ;  "L  —  d  D—  1,"—  "C  —  s  T  —  d," 
Charles  Townshend. 

"  Boast  foul  Oppression,  boast  thy  transient  Reign 
While  honest    FREEDOM    struggles  with  her 
Chain  ; 


MARRIAGE,  HOME,  AND  BUSINESS.  45 


But  know  the  Sons  of  Virtue,  hardy,  brave, 
Disdain  to  lose  thro'  mean  Dispair  to  save 
Arrouz'd  in  Thunder,  awfull  they  appear 
With  proud  deliverance  stalking  in  their  Rear 
While  Tyrant-Foes  their  pallid  Fears  betray 
Shrink  from  their  Arms,  &  give  their  Vengeance 
way. 

See  in  th'  unequal  War  OPPRESSORS  fall 
The  hate,  contempt,  and  endless  Curse  of  all." 

Beneath  is  the  sketch :  "  The  Tree  of 
Liberty,  with  an  eagle  feeding  its  young, 
in  the  topmost  branches,  and  an  angel  ad- 
vancing with  an  aegis  ; "  and  its  title  is, 
"  She  endures  the  Conflict,  for  a  short 
Season." 

On  the  fourth  side  :  "  L  —  d  G  —  e 
S  —  k — e,"  Lord  George  Sackville;  "Mr. 
DeB  —  t,"  Mr.  Dennis  DeBert  ;  "  J  —  n 
W  —  s,"  John  Wilkes  ;  "  L  —  d  C  —  n,"  Lord 
Camden. 

"Our  FAITH  approved,  our  LIBERTY  restor'd, 
Our  Hearts  bend  grateful  to  our  Sover'gn  Lord  ; 
Hail  darling  Monarch  !  by  this  act  endear'd 
Our  firm  affections  are  thy  best  reward 
Sh'd  Britains  self,  against  herself  devide, 


46        MARRIAGE,   HOME,  AND  BUSINESS. 


And  hostile  Armies  frown  on  either  Side, 
Sh'd    Hosts    rebellious    shake   our  Brunswick's 
Throne 

And  as  they  dar'd  thy  Parent,  dare  the  Son, 
To  this  Asylum  stretch  thine  happy  Wing 
And   we'll   contend,   who   best   shall    love  our 
KING." 

The  sketch  is :  "  George  the  Third,  in 
armor,  resembling  a  Dutch  widow,  in  a 
long-short,  introducing  America  to  the  god- 
dess of  liberty,  who  are,  apparently,  just 
commencing  the  Polka.  At  the  bottom  of 
the  engraving  are  the  words  —  Paul  Re- 
vere Sculp.  Our  ancestors  dealt  rather  in 
fact  than  fiction  —  they  were  no  poets."  Its 
title  is,  "And  has  her  LIBERTY  restored 
by  the  Royal  hand  of  GEORGE  the  Third." 

A  curious  caricature  of  the  Stamp  Act 
trouble  was  issued  at  this  time.  It  is  not 
known  who  engraved  it,  and  there  are  but 
few  copies  in  existence.  The  plate  is  twelve 
by  eighteen  inches. 

As  the  procession  approaches  the  "  Fam- 
ily Vault,"  decorated  with  the  skulls  of 
1 71 5-1 745,  the  burial  service  is  being  read, 


MARRIAGE,  HOME,  AND  BUSINESS.  49 


and  a  "  Funeral  Sermon  by  Anti  Sejanus " 
pronounced.  The  coffin  is  labeled  "  Miss 
Anne  Stamp  B.  1765  died  1766."  The  ban- 
ners have  an  illustration  of  the  stamps 
upon  them.  The  bales  at  the  right  are 
labeled  "Black  Cloth  from  America"  and 
"  Stamps  from  America."  "  A  Statue  of  Mr 
Pitt "  is  being  loaded  from  the  largest  of 
the  warehouses,  which  has  upon  it :  "  The 
Sheffield  and  Birmingham  Warehouse. 
Goods  Now  Ship'd  for  America."  The 
other  buildings  along  the  wharf  are  marked 
"  Liverpool,"  "  Leeds,"  "  Halifax,"  and  "  Man- 
chester." The  large  vessels  are  named 
"  Conway,"  "  Rockingham, "  and  "  Grafton." 


ENGRAVINGS   AND  CARICATURES. 


CHAPTER  III. 

ENGRAVINGS   AND  CARICATURES. 

Old  Singing-Books  —  The  Massachusetts  Circular 
Letter  —  The  King  Offended  —  Order  to  Rescind  — 
Caricature  of  the  Seventeen  Rescinders  —  Punch-Bowl 

TO  THE  NON-RESCINDERS  —  BOSTON  MASSACRE  ILLUSTRA- 
TIONS His  D ay-Book  —  The  North  Battery  —  Views  of 
Boston  —  Samuel  Adams  —  John  Hancock  —  Magazine  Il- 
lustrations —  Various  Engravings. 


IN  the  Boston  Gazette  for  February  4,  1765, 
there  appeared  the   following  advertise- 
ment : 

"Just  published  and  to  be  sold  by  Josiah 
Flagg  and  Paul  Revere  in  Fish  Street,  at 
the  North  End  of  Boston  —  A  Collection  of 
the  Psalm  Tunes  in  two,  three  and  four 
Parts,  from  the  most  celebrated  Authors; 
fitted  to  all  Measures  and  approved  of  by 
the  best  Masters  in  Boston,  New  England. 


54         ENGRAVINGS  AND  CARICATURES. 


To  which  are  added,  some  Hymns  and 
Anthems ;  the  greater  Part  of  them  never 
before   Printed  in  America. 


Five  years  later  another  note-book  was 
published  bearing  this  title: 


NEW-ENGLAND  PSALM-SINGER: 


A  Number  of  Psalm-Tunes,  Anthems  and 


1  Josiah  Flagg  was  a  Jeweller  and  kept  on  Fish  Street  near 
Revere  ;  and  his  portion  of  the  cost  of  this  work  appears  with 
other  items  in  the  following  charge  from  Revere's  Day-book  : 

"  MR.  Josiah  Flagg     To  Paul  Revere  Dr. 
To  a  Verbal  Order  from  Mr.  John  Williams         £6  ,,  15  ,,  o 
To  a  p1"  of  Silver  Shoe  Buckles  1  oz  and  Making    5  ,,  12  ,,  6 
To  Silver  lent  2  oz  2  pt  £5  ,,  5  to  two  turtle  Shell 

butt'n  10  I  5  ,,  15  ,,  o 

To  Gold  lent  3  pt  £5  14  To  Cash  lent  1 1  |  6,,  5  ,,  o 
To  Cash  paid  you  in  the  Street  2  ,,   5  o 

To  a  Silver  Cream  Pot  Wt  5  oz  £12  ,,  10  to  mak- 
ing £6  18  ,,  10  ,,  o 
To  Silver  lent  1 1  pt  27  |  to  Engraving  2  Rings  5  |   1  ,,  12  ,,  o 
To  Gold  lent  2  ,,  iS  £5  ,,  4     6    To  Cash  £2  ,,  10  7     14  ,,  6 
To  one  half  of  Engraving  Copper  Plates  for  Sing- 
ing Book                                                    150  ,,    o  ,,  o 


"  Set  in  score  by 
"  Engraved  by 


Josiah  Flagg.1 
Paul  Revere." 


"  THE 


OR, 

American  Chorister. 
Containing 


Canons. 


£204      9  ,,  6 


£he  BOSTOJS1&NS  in  DISTRESS . 


ENGRAVINGS  AND  CARICATURES.  55 


In  Four  and  Five  Parts. 
[Never  before  Published.] 
Composed  by  William  Billings, 
a  Native  of  Boston,  in  New-England. 

Matthew  xxi.  16.  —  Out  of  the  Mouth 
of  Babes  and  Sucklings  thou  hast  per- 
fected Praise. 

James  v.  13.  —  Is  any  Merry?  Let  him 
sing  Psalms. 

O  praise  the  Lord  with  one  Consent,  and  in  his  grand  Design, 
Let  Britain  and  the  Colonies,  unanimously  join. 

Boston  :   New-England.     Printed  by 
Edes  and  Gill, 
and  to  be  Sold  by  them  at  their  Printing- 
office  in  Queen-Street  ;   by  Deacon  El- 
liot, under  Liberty-Tree  ;  by  Josiah  Flagg, 
in  Fish-Street  ;  by  Gillam  Bass,  the  Cor- 
ner of  Ann-Street,  and  by  the  Author. 
[Price  Eight  Shillings,  L.M.]  " 

It  has  a  curious  frontispiece  which  was 
engraved  by  Revere.  It  represents  the  in- 
terior of  a  room,  with  seven  men  in  full- 
dress,    with    powdered    wigs,    seated    at  a 


5^ 


ENGRAVINGS  AND  CARICATURES. 


round-table  engaged  in  singing ;  the  whole 
surrounded  with  a  staff  of  music,  entitled : 
"A  Canon  of  6  in  One  with  a  Ground  —  the 
Words  by  ye  Revd.  Dr.  Byles.  Set  to  Music 
by  W.  Billings."  Underneath  this:  "  N.  B. 
the  Ground  Bass  to  be  continually  Sung  by 


The  Simging  School. 


3  or  4  deep  Voices  with  the  6  other  parts." 
Its  96  pages  of  music  were  engraved  by 
Revere  on  copper-plates,  almost  every  one 
of    which    bears    evidence    of    being  badly 


ENGRAVINGS  AND  CARICATURES. 


57 


cracked ;  some  of  them  in  many  places.  On 
the  bottom  of  page  i  there  is  the  following 
note  :  "  No  doubt  the  reader  will  excuse 
my  not  adapting  words  to  all  the  tunes  as 
it  is  attended  with  great  inconvenience ;" 
and  on  page  2  :  "  N.  B.  I  have  put  C.  M. 
for  common  metre  L.  M.  for  Ions:  metre 
S.  M.  for  short  metre  P.  M.  for  Particular 
metre."  Its  introductory  pages  contain 
"  An  Essay  on  the  Nature  and  Properties 
of  Sound,"  "  Rules  of  Musick,"  an  ode 
"  On  Music  "  and  a  "  New  England  Hymn," 
by  Rev.  Dr.  Byles,  "  An  Hymn  compos'd 
by  the  Rev.  Mr.  Whitefield,  with  design 
to  be  sung  at  his  own  Funeral,"  and  the 
following  "  Advertisement.  To  the  generous 
Subscribers  for  this  Book.  The  Author 
having  to  his  orreat  Loss  deferred  the  Pub- 
lication  of  these  Sheets  for  Eighteen 
Months,  to  have  them  put  upon  American 
Paper,  hopes  the  Delay  will  be  pardoned ; 
and  the  good  Ladies,  Heads  of  Families, 
into  whose  Hands  they  may  fall,  will  zeal- 
ously endeavour  to  furnish  the  Paper  Mills 
with  all  the  Fragments  of  Linnen  they  can 


58 


ENGRAVINGS  AND  CARICATURES. 


possibly  afford  :  Paper  being  the  Vehicle 
of  Literature,  and  Literature  the  Spring 
and  Security  of  human  Happiness."  On 
its  fly-leaf,  in  large,  handsome  handwriting, 
appears  the  name  of  the  owner :  "  Olney 
Winsor's  Book.    Bou1.  June  18th  1776." 1 

In  1768,  Revere  produced  another  car- 
icature which  attracted  much  attention  ;  and 
like  the  Stamp  Act  illustrations,  was  very 
popular  and  had  an  extensive  sale.  "  On  the 
11th  of  Feb.  1768,  the  General  Court  of 
Massachusetts  by  a  large  majority  passed 
Resolutions  authorizing  a  Circular  Letter  to 
be  sent  to  the  several  General  Assemblys  on 
the  Continent.  It  orave  Qreat  offense  to 
the  King,  and  in  a  letter  from  Lord  Hills- 
borough to  Gov.  Bernard,  elated  April  22, 
1 768,  he  says :  '  therefore  it  is  the  King's 
pleasure  that  as  soon  as  the  General  Court 
is  again  assembled  at  the  time  prescribed 
by  the  Charter,  you  should  require  of  the 
House  of  Representatives,  in  His  Majesty's 
name,  to  rescind  the  resolution  which  gave 

1  This,  the  only  copy  known  to  be  in  existence,  is  now 
the  property  of  Alfred  S.  Manson,  Esq.,  of  Boston. 


ENGRAVINGS  AND  CARICATURES.  S9 


birth  to  the  Circular  letter  from  the  Speaker, 
and  to  declare  their  disapprobation  of,  & 
dissent  to  that  rash  and  hasty  proceeding  ; ' 
—  and  in  case  '  the  new  assembly  should 
refuse  to  comply  with  his  Majesty's  reason- 
able expectations,  it  is  the  King's  pleasure 
you  should  immediately  dissolve  them.'  Gov. 
Bernard  made  the  requisition  in  a  Message 
on  the  21st  June;  it  was  refer'd  to  a 
Committee  who  reported  against  on  the 
30th,  —  when  the  Question  was  put,  &  de- 
cided as  follows:  For  Rescinding  17.  Against 
it  92.  The  General  Court  was  immediately 
dissolved  by  Gov.  Bernard.  The  Seventeen 
Rescinders  were  Wm.  Brown  &  Peter  Frye 
of  Salem,  Richard  Saltonstall,  Haverhill, 
John  Calef,  Ipswich,  Jacob  Fowle,  Marble- 
head,  Jonathan  Bliss,  Springfield,  Israel  Wil- 
liams, Hatfield,  Jonathan  Ashley,  W.  Deer- 
field,  Joseph  Root,  Sunderland,  John  Ashley, 
Sheffield,  Timothy  Ruggles,  Hardwick,  Jona- 
than Sayward,  York,  John  Chadwick,  Tyring- 
ham,  Josiah  Edson,  Bridgewater,  Chillings- 
worth  Foster,  Harwich,  Wm.  Jennigan, 
Edgartown,  Mathew    Mayhew,  Chilmark. 


6o  ENGRAVINGS  AND  CARICATURES. 


This  account  and  list  of  names  is  copied 
from  the  back  of  the  original,  which  is  here 
reproduced. 


'Warm  Place 


On   6rave  JlxscrarAEiis-'    yon     &a<v?tc*ta'  £et/, 

Crt  uucA  at/2*ruput//i  'a!  Scocrzw x£Z*s>  yaz.c  cx+ia? 
kJAc  cut  dene  Uj^vzz.     iUZ  fv/cyft  Ai/ ^/tvay , 
K?Cc  never  cu'Vt    A  u  MlXXJ  Ol&S  t*t   or  jfay  . 

The  Rescinders.1 


The  representation,  entitled  tk  A  Warm 
Place  —  Hell,"  has  a  pair  of  monstrous 
open    jaws,    resembling    those    of    a  shark, 


1  This  is  the  only  known  original  and  belongs  to  Mr. 
Nathaniel  G.  Eliot  of  Roxburj,  Mass.  The  imprint  is  :  "  Pub. 
Accord'g  to  Act  by  Marly." 


ENGRAVINGS  AND  CARICATURES. 


61 


somewhat,  from  which  flames  are  issuing ; 
Satan,  with  a  large  pitchfork,  is  driving 
the  seventeen  Rescinders  into  the  flames, 
exclaiming:  "Now,  I've  got  you!  A  fine 
haul,  by  Jove  !  "  As  a  reluctance  is  shown 
by  the  foremost  man  at  entering,  who  is 
supposed  to  represent  Hon.  Timothy  Rug- 
gles,  who  afterwards  became  a  noted  royal- 
ist, another  devil  flying  towards  him  with  a 
fork  cries :  "  Push  on,  Tim  !  "  Over  the 
upper  jaw  is  seen,  in  the  background,  the 
cupola  of  the  Province  House,  the  residence 
of  the  Governor,  with  the  Indian  and  bow 
and  arrow  1  the  arms  of  the  Province.  These 
rescinders  were  stigmatized  and  treated  with 
contempt. 

While  Revere  was  eno*ao-ed  in  executing 
this  picture,  Dr.  Benjamin  Church  came 
into   his    shop,    and    seeing    what    he  was 

1  This  vane,  which  for  more  than  a  century  decked  the 
Province  House,  was  made  by  Deacon  Shem  Drowne ;  and 
some  years  after  that  house  was  destroyed  it  became  the  prop- 
erty of  the  Massachusetts  Historical  Society,  in  one  of  the 
rooms  of  which  it  may  still  be  seen  swinging  on  its  original 
pivot.  Deacon  Drowne  also  made  the  grasshopper  vane  still 
on  Faneuil  Hall. 


62 


ENGRAVINGS  AND  CARICATURES. 


about,  took  a  pen  and  wrote  the  lines  be- 
neath : 

"  On  brave  Rescinders  !  to  yon  yawning  cell  ! 
Seventeen  such  miscreants  there  will  startle  hell ; 
These  puny  Villains,  damned  for  petty  sin, 
On  such  distinguished  Scoundrels  gaze  and  grin  ; 
The  out-done  Devil  will  resign  his  sway ; 
He  never  curst  his  millions  in  a  day." 

When  Revere  was  about  eighty  years 
of  age,  a  copy  of  this  print  was  shown 
him.  He  said  he  had  not  seen  it  for 
many  years ;  was  pleased  to  know  that  one 
was  in  existence,  and  offered  to  buy  it, 
saying  that  when  he  sketched  -  it,  he  was  a 
young  man  zealous  in  the  cause  of  liberty, 
but  he  had  forgotten  many  of  the  circum- 
stances connected  with  it  ;  but  this  he  did 
remember,  that  when  he  was  engaged  upon 
it,  the  famous  Doctor  Church  came  into 
his  shop,  took  a  pen  and  wrote  the  lines  as 
given  above,  which  he  quoted  from  memory. 

To  those  who  voted  not  to  rescind,  there 
was  presented  a  large  and  handsome  Silver 
Punch-Bowl  by  the  following  fifteen  "Sons  of 


ENGRAVINGS  AND  CARICATURES.  63 


Liberty  "  of  Boston,  for  whom  it  was  made, 
and  whose  names  are  engraved  in  a  "  round 
robin "   near    the    top,    to  indicate  equality 


Silver  Punch  Bowl. 

and  common  responsibility:  John  Homer, 
John  White,  William  Bowes,  William  Mac- 
kay,  Peter  Boyer,  Daniel  Malcom,  Benjamin 
Cobb,  Benjamin  Goodwin,  Caleb  Hopkins, 
John  Welsh,  Nathaniel  Barber,  Fortesque 
Vernon,  Daniel  Parker,  John  Marston,  Icha- 


64         ENGRAVINGS  AND  CARICATURES. 


bod  Jones.  The  inscription  upon  its  front 
is  as  follows : 

"  To  the  Memory  of  the  glorious  Ninety- 
two  Members  of  the  Honorable  House  of 
Representatives  of  the  Massachusetts  Bay, 
who,  undaunted  by  the  insolent  Menaces  of 
Villians  in  Power,  from  a  strict  regard  to 
Conscience  and  the  Liberties  of  their  Con- 
stituents, on  the  30th  of  June,  1768,  Voted, 
NOT  TO  RESCIND." 

This  inscription  is  surrounded  by  a 
wreath,  and  surmounted  by  a  liberty  cap. 
On  the  opposite  side  of  the  bowl  is  a 
smaller  wreath  encircling  the  words,  — 

"  No.  45 
"  Wilkes  and  Liberty." 

This  refers  to  the  fact  that  John  Wilkes 
in  No.  45  of  his  North  Briton  vindicated 
the  act  of  the  Colonies.  Upon  the  surface 
of  the  bowl  there  are  also  two  standards, 
"  Magna  Charta,"  being  engraved  upon  the 
right-hand  one,  and  "  Bill  of  Rights  "  upon  the 
left;  beneath  is  engraved  a  torn  document, 
inscribed,  "  General  Warrants,"  meaning  the 


ENGRAVINGS  AND  CARICATURES. 


65 


governmental  warrants  giving  authority  to 
search  houses.  "  The  bowl,  simple  in  form, 
and  without  chasing,  is  of  pure  standard  sil- 
ver of  substantial  thickness,  and  hammered 
work.  It  was  manufactured  by  Paul  Revere, 
whose  name  is  modestly  stamped  underneath. 
It  weighs  forty-four  ounces  and  seven  penny- 
weights. It  is  nearly  six  inches  in  depth 
and  eleven  inches  in  diameter,  and  will 
hold  about  a  gallon.  It  rests  upon  a  thick- 
rimmed  base,  or  foot,  of  an  inch  in  breadth. 
Mr.  William  Mackay  bought  out  the  shares 
of  his  associates  in  its  proprietorship.  It 
now  belongs  to  his  grandson,  Mr.  Robert 
Caldwell  Mackay  of  this  city." 1 

His  view  of  "  The  Bloody  Massacre 
perpetrated  in  King-Street,  Boston,  on 
March  5th.  1770,  by  a  party  of  the  29th 
REGT."  which  represents  so  important  an 
event  in  our  history,  like  many  of  his  pic- 
tures, has  been  reproduced  in  different 
historical  works.  Its  imprint  is  "  Engrav'd, 
Printed     &    Sold    by    PAUL  REVERE, 

1  Proceedings  of  the  Massachusetts  Historical  Society,  1S74, 
p.  200. 


66 


ENGRAVINGS  AND  CARICATURES. 


BOSTON."  It  was  a  large,  folded  plate, 
issued  in  the  "  Short  Narrative "  by  the 
Town,  and  printed  by  Edes  &  Gill.  There 
are  but  few  of  the  original  engravings  in 
existence.  The  Bostonian  Society  has  one 
hanging  up  on  its  walls  which  has  been 
hand-colored.1 

This  engraving  was  reproduced  in  London 
in  at  least  three  editions.  The  Bostonian 
Society  has  a  copy  of  one  of  them,  loaned 
by  Dwight  Whiting,  Esq.,  which  has  the 
following  heading :  "  The  Fruits  of  |  Arbi- 
trary Power ;  or  the  Bloody  Massacre, 
Perpetrated  in  King-street,  Boston,  by  a 
Party  of  the  XXIXth  Regt."  On  the  left 
side  of  the  poetry  beneath  is  a  death's  head 
and  cross-bones,  surrounded  by  a  wreath, 
and  beneath  it  the  text :  "  How  long  shall 
they  utter  and  speak  hard  things  ?  and  all 
the  workers  of  iniquity  boast  themselves  ? 
They  break  in  pieces  thy  people,  O  Lord, 

1  Upon  the  back  of  this  print  appears  the  following  memo- 
randum :  "Given  in  1S25  to  Josiah  Quincw  Jr.,  (1772-1864) 
by  his  aunt  Mrs.  Storer,  sister  of  Josiah  Quiney,  Jr.,  who 
defended  Captain  Preston." 


ENGLISH   REPRODUCTION  OF  BOSTON  MASSACRE 


ENGRAVINGS  AND  CARICATURES.  J I 


and  afflict  thine  heritage."  —  Ps.  xciv,  4, 
5.  On  the  other  side  the  design  has 
two  broken  swords  and  beneath  this  text : 
"  They  slay  the  widow  and  the  stranger,  and 
murder  the  fatherless.  Yet  they  say,  The 
Lord  shall  not  see,  neither  shall  the  God 
of  Jacob  regard  it." — Ps.  xciv,  6,  7.  The 
frame  in  which  this  engraving  hangs  for- 
merly belonged  to  Francis  Rotch,  owner  of 
the  famous  tea-ships  of  December,  1773. 

The  stanzas  on  the  bottom  of  the  plate, 
written  by  Revere,  are  as  follows  : 

"  Unhappy  BOSTON  !  see  thy  Sons  deplore, 
Thy   hallowed    Walks    besmear' d  with  guiltless 
Gore  : 

While  faithless  P — n  and  his  savage  Bands, 
With    murd'rous    Rancour   stretch    their  bloody 
Hands  ; 

Like  fierce  Barbarians  grinning  o'er  their  Prey, 
Approve  the  Carnage  and  enjoy  the  Day. 

"  If    scalding    drops    from    Rage   from  Anguish 
Wrung, 

If  speechless  Sorrows  lab'ring  for  a  Tongue, 
Or  if  a  weeping  World  can  ought  appease 
The  plaintive  Ghosts  of  Victims  such  as  these, 


7- 


ENGRA  VINGS  AND  CARICATURES. 


The  Patriots'  copious  Tears  for  each  are  shed, 
A  glorious  Tribute  which  embalms  the  Dead. 

"  But  know,  FATE   summons  to  that  sordid  Goal 
Where    JUSTICE    strips    the  Murd'rer   of  his 
Soul. 

Should  venal  C  —  ts  the  scandal  of  the  Land, 
Snatch  the  relentless  Villian  from  her  Hand, 
Keen  Execrations  on  this  Plate  inscrib'd, 
Shall  reach  a  JUDGE  who  never  can  be  brib'd." 

"  The  unhappy  Sufferers  were  Messrs  Saml 
Gray,  Sam  l  Maverick,  Jams  Caldwell, 
Crispus  Attucks  &  Patk  Carr,  killed. 
Six  wounded  two  of  them  (Christk  Monk 
&  John  Clark)  Mortally/' 

Hon.  Mellen  Chamberlain,  late  Librarian 
of  Boston  Public  Library,  has  in  his  posses- 
sion Revere's  pen-and-ink  plan  of  the  scene 
of  the  massacre,  which  was  used  in  the  trial 
of  the  British  soldiers.  It  shows  the  posi- 
tion of  the  troops  when  they  fired,  of  the 
citizens  who  fell,  the  topography  of  the 
scene,  the  streets  and  houses  surrounding 
the  Old  State  House,  in  a  very  excellent 
manner.    This  has  been  reproduced  in  Mr. 


REVERE'S  PEN  AND  INK  PLAN  OF  MASSACRE. 
For  Key  s«e  fouowmg  page. 


X 


V 


w 


U 

T 

s 

71 

M  0 


71  0$ 


(7 

7 


PLAN  OP  KINO  STREET  AMD  VICINITY. 


The  plan  on  preceding  page  is  a  reduction  from 
the  original  in  possession  of  Judge  Chamberlain. 
The  key  is  copied  from  Narrative  and  Critical 
History  of  America,  vol.  6,  p.  47.  A,  Doctr  Jones  ; 
B,  Doctr  Roberts;  C,  Brigdeus,  goldsmith;  D, 
John  Nazro,  store ;  E,  Main  Street  ;  F,  Town 
House ;  G,  Brazen  Head ;  H,  Benj.  Kent,  Esq., 
house  ;  I,  Mrs.  Clapham  ;  J,  Exchange  Tavern  ;  K, 
Exchange  Lane ;  L,  Custom  House ;  M,  Col. 
Marshall's  house  ;  N,  "  N.  B.  The  pricked  line  is  the 
Gutter;"  O,  Mr.  Paine's  house;  P,  Mr.  Davis's 
house  ;  Q,  Mr.  Amory's  house  ;  R,  Quaker  Lane  ; 
S,  Warden  and  Vernon's  shop  ;  T,  Levi  Jening,  shop  ; 
U,  Mr.  Peck,  wa[t]ch  maker,  shop ;  V,  Court 
Square ;  W,  whipping-post  ;  X,  J.  &  D.  Waldo, 
shop;  Y,  Pudin  Lane;  Z,  G.  C.  Phillips,  house;  1, 
Ezk.  Prince,  Esq.,  office  ;  2,  Guard  House  ;  3,  Mr. 
Bowse,  shop.  The  key  to  the  letters  in  the  streets, 
which  was  a  part  of  the  original  drawing,  is  lost. 


ENGRAVINGS  AND  CARICATURES.  75 


Chamberlain's  chapter,  "  The  Revolution  Im- 
pending," in  the  Narrative  and  Critical 
History  of  America,  vol.  VI.,  chapter  I.,  a 
fac-simile  of  which  is  here  given. 

Among  the  family  papers  are  several  of 
Revere's  Day-books,  Ledgers,  and  Letter- 
books.  The  items  in  one  of  the  Day-books 
extend  from  "Boston,  N:  England  1761  Jany 
3d"  to  October  10,  1783,  with  a  break  from 
April  1,  1775,  to  December  19,  1779,  during 
which  time  he  was  engaged  in  various  ser- 
vices ;  the  largest  part  of  the  time  in  the 
military.  The  first  charge  is  to  James 
Graham,  "  To  a  free  mason's  Medall  13 1 4." 
Part  of  one  of  the  pages  of  this  Day-book 
is  reproduced  on  page  77. 

Under  date  of  March  9,  1770,  four  days 
after  the  Boston  Massacre,  the  following 
charge  appears  on  the  Day-book : 

Messrs.  Edes  &  Gill  Dr  : 


To 

Engraving  5 

Coffings  for  Massacre 

6 

To 

Printing  200 

Impressions  of  Massacre 

5 

0 

This  was  for  the  purpose  of  illustrating 
the    account    of    the  Massacre  given  in  the 


76 


ENGRAVINGS  AND  CARICATURES. 


Boston  Gazette  and  Country  Journal,  pub- 
lished by  them,  under  date  of  Monday,  March 
12,  1770.  On  this  page  of  the  Day-book 
is  pinned  a  paper  pattern  of  a  coffin,  as 
shown  in  the  fac-simile. 

Another  of  his  engravings  gives  a  view 
of  one  of  the  old  fortifications  which  was 
begun    "  att  Walter   Merry's    Point,"  —  now 


The  North  Battery. 


known  as  Battery  Wharf,  —  as  early  as  1644. 
This  was  always  an  important  and  command- 
ing  position.    When    the  British  evacuated 


PART  OF  PAGE  FROM  REVERE'S  DAY  BOOK. 


ENGRAVINGS  AND  CARICATURES.  79 


Boston,  in  March,  1776,  it  had  seven  twelve- 
pounders,  two  nine-pounders,  and  four  six- 
pounders,  all  rendered  unfit  for  use.  Soon 
after  the  Revolution,  this  point  was  sold 
and  used  for  commercial  purposes.  Reveres 
illustration,  the  original  copper-plate  of  which 
is  now  in  possession  of  the  Massachusetts 
Historical  Society,  formed  the  heading  for 
a  certificate  of  membership  for  an  enlisted 
"  Montross,"  or  "  Matross,"  an  English  term 
for  a  soldier  in  a  train  of  artillery,  who 
served  next  to  the  gunners  ;  assisting  them 
in  loading,  firing  and  sponging  the  guns. 
They  carried  firelocks  and  marched  with 
the  store-wagons  as  guards  and  assist- 
ants. 

His  representations  of  Boston,  of  which 
there  are  three  different  copper-plate 
engravings,  like  his  "  Boston  Massacre," 
possess  peculiar  historical  interest.  Beside 
the  view  of  town  and  harbor,  each  one 
depicts  the  advent  of  the  famous  14th  and 
29th  Regiments  of  British  Troops,  after- 
wards known  as  the  "  Sam  Adams  Regi- 
ments."   The  first  one  was  issued  in  1770, 


SO         ENGRAVINGS  AND  CARICATURES. 


and  is  from  a  plate  15  by  10  inches.1 
Its  title  is  in  a  scroll  across  the  top  of 
the  plate:  "A  VIEW  OF  PART  OF 
THE  TOWN  OF  BOSTON  IN  NEW 
ENGLAND  AND  BRITTISH  SHIPS 
OF  WAR  LANDING  THEIR  TROOPS! 
1768."  This  shows  only  that  part  of  Bos- 
ton beginning  with  the  "  Old  Brick  Church  " 
and  thence  to  the  "  North  Battery."  It 
shows  the  steeples  of  seven  churches,  Fan- 
euil  Hall  and  the  Old  State  House.  On 
the  right-hand  lower  corner  is  the  follow- 
ing dedication  :  "  To  the  Earl  of  Hills- 
borough, His  Majest5  Scry  of  State  for 
America  THIS  VIEW  of  the  only  well 
Plan'd  EXPEDITION  formed  for  support- 
ing ye  dignity  of  BRITAIN  &  chastizing 
ye  insolence  of  AMERICA,  is  humy  in- 
scrib'd."    The    explanation  of  the  names  of 

1  "Just  Published  and  to  be  Sold  by  Paul  Revere,  Oppo- 
site Dr.  Clark's  at  the  North-End,  and  by  the  Printers 
hereof,  a  Copper-Plate  Print,  containing  a  View  of  Part  of 
the  Town  of  Boston  in  New  England,  and  British  Ships 
of  War  landing  their  Troops  in  the  Year  1768.  Dedicated 
to  the  Earl  of  Hillsborough." —  The  Bos/on  Gazette  and 
Comity  Journal,  Monday,  April  16,  1770. 


ENGRAVINGS  AND  CARICATURES. 


§3 


the  vessels  which  appear  in  the  foreground 
is  as  follows:  "  1  Beaver  2  Senegal  3  Mar- 
tin 4  Glasgow  5  Mermaid  6  Romney  7 
Launceston  8  Bonetta.  On  fryday  Septr.  30th. 
1768,  the  Ships  of  WAR,  armed  Schoon- 
ers, Transports,  &c,  Came  up  the  Harbour 
and  Anchored  round  the  ?OWN :  their 
Cannon  loaded,  a  Spring  on  their  Cables, 
as  for  a  regular  Siege.  At  noon  on  Sat- 
urday,  October  the  Ist  the  fourteenth  & 
twenty-ninth  Regiments,  a  detachment  from 
the  59th  Reg1,  and  a  Train  of  Artillery, 
with  two  pieces  of  Cannon,  landed  on  the 
Long  Wharf ;  there  Formed  and  Marched 
with  insolent  Parade,  Drums  beating,  Fifes 
playing  and  Colours  flying,  up  KING 
STREET,  Each  Soldier  having  received 
16  rounds  of  Powder  and  Ball."  The  im- 
print is :  "  Engraved,  Printed  &  Sold  by 
Paul  Revere,  Boston."  1 

1  An  original  copy  of  this  view,  which  has  been  hand- 
colored,  hangs  on  the  walls  of  the  Bostonian  Society,  in  the 
Old  State  House.  It  belongs  to  Hon.  Samuel  Abbott  Green. 
The  plate  is  in  the  office  of  the  Secretary  of  State,  at  the  State 
House;  it  was  utilized  in  1775,  by  engraving  on  the  other  side, 
the  plate  for  some  of  the  Provincial  money  then  issued. 


84  ENGRAVINGS  AND  CARICATURES. 


The  second  view  was  engraved  for 
"  Edes  and  Gill's  North  American  Alma- 
nack and  Massachusetts  Register  for  the 
Year  1770."  Its  title  is:  "Prospective  View 
of  the  Town  of  Boston,  the  Capital  of  New 
England ;  and  the  Landing  of  Troops  in  the 
year  1768,  in  Consequence  of  Letters  from 
Gov.  Bernard,  the  Commissioners,  &c,  to  the 
British  Ministry."  This  plate  was  3  by  5! 
inches  in  size.  Besides  Faneuil  Hall  and  the 
Old  State  House,  eleven  steeples  of  churches 
appear  in  this  illustration.  Its  imprint  is 
simply  "  P.  Revere."  The  explanation  ac- 
companying it  is:  "  1,  the  Beaver,  14  guns; 
2,  the  Senegal,  14;  3,  the  Martin,  10;  4,  the 
Glasgow,  20 ;  5,  Mermaid,  28 ;  6,  Romney, 
50  ;  7,  Launceston,  40  ;  8,  Bonetta,  10."  1 

The  third  view  was  engraved  for  the  first 
number  of  the  Royal  American  Magazine, 
January,  1774,  which  he  entitled,  "A  View 
of  the  Town  of  Boston,  with  several  Ships 
of  War  in  the  Harbour,"  in  a  scroll  across 

1  On  the  same  page  of  Day-book,  part  of  which  is  given 
in  fac-simile  on  a  previous  page,  under  date  of  January  10, 
1770,  is  a  charge  to  Edes  &  Gill  "To  Engraving  plate  for 
Almanack  £2.  8.  o." 


ENGRAVINGS  AND  CARICATURES. 


85 


the  top  of  the  plate.  This  view  takes  in 
Fort  Hill  and  the  southerly  part  of  the  town, 
and  shows  eleven  steeples  of  churches, 
besides  Faneuil  Hall  and  the  Old  State 
House,  and  has  no  imprint.  On  the  last 
page  of  the  magazine  there  is  given  this 
explanation:  "A,  Long  Wharf ;  B,  Hancock's 
Wharf ;  C,  North  Battery ;  D,  South  Battery ; 
E,  Fort  Hill;  F,  Wheelwright's  Wharf;  G, 
Beacon  Hill;  H,  Hubbard's  Wharf;  I,  Hal- 
loway's  Ship-Yard  ;  K,  W alker's  Ship-Yard  ; 
L,  Tyler's  Ship-Yard ;  M,  N,  Island  Wharfs ; 
i,  2,  3,  4,  5,  6,  7,  &  8,  Ships  of  War;  g 
and  io,  Armed  Schooners." 

The  Royal  American  Magazine,  a  "Uni- 
versal Repository  of  Instruction  and  Amuse- 
ment," in  which  this  view  of  Boston  ap- 
peared, was  the  last  magazine  established 
previous  to  the  Revolution.  Its  first  num- 
ber, January,  1774,  bore  this  imprint: 
"  America.  |  Boston.  Printed  and  Sold  at 
Greenleafs  Printing  Office  |  in  Union-street, 
near  the  Conduit,  where  subscriptions  con- 
tinue to  be  taken  in."  It  was  published  for 
six  months,  and  then  suspended  ;  but  Joseph 


86         ENGRAVINGS  AND  CARICATURES. 


Greenleaf  revived  and  continued  it  until  the 
following  April,  when  "  the  war  put  a  pe- 
riod to  the  magazine."  It  is  interesting  to 
compare  a  number  of  this  magazine,  with  its 
thin  paper,  small  page,  old-fashioned  type, 
rough  engravings,  and  general  make-up, 
with  one  of  the  issues  of  Harper's  New 
Monthly,  the  Century  or  the  Magazine 
of  American  History.  The  contrast  is  a 
striking  one.  Each  number  was  embellished 
with  two  copper-plate  engravings,  most  of 
which  were  designed  and  engraved  as  indi- 
cated by  the  imprint,  "  Paul  Revere,  Sculp." 
Some  were  crude,  but  most  of  them  have  a 
historical  value.  He  produced,  for  the  mag- 
azine, several  portraits  of  historic  personages. 
In  the  first  April  number  was  "  The  Bust 
of  Mr.  Samuel  Adams,"  evidently  taken  from 
the  Copley  painting  then  in  John  Hancock's 
house.  It  does  not  reproduce  the  majestic 
character  of  the  work  of  that  eminent  paint- 
er, but  it  is  sufficiently  good  to  "  show  the 
determined  energy  and  resolute  bearing  of 
the  original."  1    In  a  later  number  appeared 

1  Mr.  Samuel  G.  Drake,  in    his  History  of  Boston,  thus 


T-hc  Hon"eJOHN  HAKCOCK.Ef(. 


ENGRAVINGS  AND  CARICATURES.         9 1 


"  The  Bust  of  Hon.  John  Hancock,  Esq., 
supported  by  the  Goddess  of  Liberty  and 
an  Ancient  Briton." 

He  also  engraved  a  portrait  which  was 
called  "  Colonel  Benjamin  Church  ;  "  but  Dr. 
Charles  Deane,  in  Proceedings  of  Massachu- 
setts Historical  Society  for  1 88 1-2,  p.  245, 
proves  it  to  have  been  copied  from  a  por- 
trait of  "  Mr.  C.  Churchill "  the  poet.  Be- 
sides these  portraits  and  the  view  of  Boston, 
there  appeared  in  this  magazine,  "  The 
Thunder  Storm,  an  effective  historical  Piece, 

describes  this  portrait:  "There  are  many  engraved  likenesses 
of  Samuel  Adams.  The  earliest  is  believed  to  be  that  upon 
copper  '  done  '  for  Royal  American  Magazine  by  the  patriotic 
Paul  Revere,  and  accompanying  the  April  number,  of  1774, 
of  that  work.  The  head  is  surrounded  by  devices  emblem- 
atical of  the  state  of  the  times.  Above  it  is  an  angel  with 
wings  displayed,  sounding  a  trumpet  ;  below  is  a  scroll, 
inscribed  MAGNA  CHARTA.  On  the  right,  a  female  stands 
upon  a  large  volume  as  a  pedestal,  which  volume  is  inscribed, 
LAWS  TO  ENSLAVE  AMERICA.  In  the  right  hand  of 
the  female  figure  is  a  rod,  on  which  is  elevated  the  Cap 
of  Liberty,  while  her  left  arm  rests  upon  the  portrait.  In 
her  countenance  is  discovered  an  expression  of  security,  and 
her  breast  is  bared  in  defiance.  On  the  left  is  a  correspond- 
ing figure  representing  Wisdom,  the  pedestal  of  which  is 
the  prostrate  Pope,  with  but  one  arm  visible,  in  the  hand 
of  which  is  grasped  a  hissing  serpent." 


92 


ENGRAVINGS  AND  CARICATURES. 


very  neatly  engraved ;  "  "  Sir  Wilbraham 
Wentworth,"  illustrating  the  story  of  "Justice 
and  Generosity,  or  the  remarkable  History 
of  Sir  Wilbraham  Wentworth;"  "The  Able 
Doctor,  or  America  swallowing  the  Bitter 
Draught;"  "Spanish  treatment  at  Cartha- 
gena,"  illustrating  an  article  on  "  The  Bar- 
barity of  the  Spaniards:"  "The  Dancing 
Bishops:  The  Mitred  Minuet;"  "The  Ger- 
bua,  or  Russian  Rabbit ; "  "  Mademoiselle 
Clarion,  with  an  elegant  Engraving  of  her 
in  an  acting  posture  and  habit,  &c.  ; "  "A 
Conference  held  between  s.ome  Indian  Chiefs 
and  Colonel  Bouquet,  in  the  year  1764; "J 
"  History  of  Lauretta  ;  "  and  in  the  last  num- 
ber, March,  1775,  "America  in  Distress." 2 

Possibly  some  of  the  other  engravings 
bearing  no  imprint  were  by  Revere,  also,  as 

1  This  was  copied  from  Benjamin  West's  picture,  which  is 
reproduced  in  Dr.  William  F.  Poole's  chapter,  "  The  West," 
in  Narrative  and  Critical  History  of  America,  vol  VI.,  p. 
695- 

2  The  last  charge  he  made  in  his  Day-book  in  1775,  was 
for  this  plate  as  follows 

April  1,  1775.  Joseph  Greenleaf  Esqr  Dr 

To  engraving  plate  for  March  Mage  3  |  o  ]  o 


ENGRAVINGS  AND  CARICATURES. 


95 


they  have  characteristics  of  his  work,  nota- 
bly   'The    Method  of  Refining  Salt  Petre." 

He  engraved  a  bill-head  for  "  Cromwell's 
Head,"   a  famous   tavern  on   School  Street, 


Top  of  Bill-head,  Cromwell's  Head  Inn. 


which  was  standing:  until  1888.  This  has  a 
portrait  of  Cromwell,  with  this  lettering  in  the 
scroll-work:  "Joshua  Brackett,  Cromwell's 
Head,  School  Street,  Boston,  P.  Revere  Sc." 
At  this  inn  Washington  was  entertained  in 


96 


ENGRAVINGS  AND  CARICATURES. 


1756,  and  the  Marquis  Chastellux  in  1782. 
"  The  sign  of  this  hostelry  was  the  effigy  of 
the  Lord  Protector  Cromwell,  and,  it  is  said, 
hung  so  low  that  all  who  passed  were  com- 
pelled to  make  an  involuntary  reverence," 
says  Drake,  in  Old  Landmarks  of  Boston, 
p.  61.  Mr.  Drake  owns  a  copy  of  this  rare 
engraving.1  It  is  a  bill  duly  made  out  for 
"  Board,  Liquor,  Horse-keeping  and  Oats," 
in  £.  s.  d.,  but  no  name  of  guest  appears. 
According  to  the  old  custom,  it  is  receipted 
on  the  back:  "  Josa  Brackett,"  and  filed  as 
"  Paid   Nov.   1 771." 

In  1774,  an  edition,  in  two  volumes,  of 
"A  New  Voyage  Round  the  World,  In 
the  Years  1768,  1769,  1770,  and  1 7  7 1  ; 
Undertaken  by  Order  of  his  present 
Majesty,  Performed  By  Captain  James 
Cooke,"  was  issued  in  New  York,  "  Printed 
by  James  Rivington,  1774,"  who  was  called 
"  the  King's  Printer,"  and  was  illustrated  by 
Revere.    It  has  a  map,  and  an  illustration 

1  The  cut  on  the  preceding  page  is  reproduced  from  the 
only  other  known  copy,  which  belongs  to  James  L.  Little.  Jr., 
of  Brookline,  Mass. 


4 


* 


ENGRAVINGS  AND  CARICATURES.  101 


"  To  front  the  title  of  Cooks  Voyages "  in 
each  volume.  One  is  entitled  a  "  Dramatic 
Interlude  &  Dance  given  by  the  Indians 
of  Ulietea  performed  by  two  Women  &  Six 
Men  with  three  Drums,"  the  other,  in  two 
sections,  "  A  New  Zealand  Warriour  in  his 
proper  Dress  and  compleately  Armed,"  and 
"  Two  Nations  of  New  Holland  Advancing 
to  Combat."  Only  the  first  has  Revere's 
imprint ;,  and  this  is  one  of  the  best  of  his 
engravings. 1 

The  familiar,  oft-used  cut  of  "  Philip, 
King  of  Mount  Hope,"  was  engraved  by 
Revere. 

The  copper  plate  upon  which  his  Harvard 
College  was  engraved  was  afterwards  cut  in 
halves.  Only  one  part,  the  left,  is  in  existence, 
and  that  is  at  the  State  House.  Revere  utilized 
the  other  side  of  this,  as  he  did  most  of  his 
copper    plates,  for  printing  the  Provincial 

1  The  only  copy  of  this  work  I  have  seen  belongs  to  Dr. 
David  Hunt  of  Boston.  It  has  the  names  of  over  seven 
hundred  subscribers,  resident  in  Massachusetts,  New  York, 
New  Jersey,  North  Carolina,  Connecticut,  Quebec,  Dominica, 
Antigua,  Jamaica,  and  the  "Great  Nine  Partners,"  which  has 
twenty-three. 


102        ENGRAVINGS  AND  CARICATURES. 


money  in  1775.  It  has  three  sizes  on  it; 
six,  fourteen,  and  twenty  shilling  pieces. 
The  only  complete  view  of  the  College  be- 
longs to  the  Essex  Institute  of  Salem,  who 


David  Green's  Book-Plate. 


kindly  allowed  this  copy  to  be  taken. 
There  are  several  of  the  half-plate  engrav- 
ings to  be  found. 

He    engraved    several    book-plates.  Mr. 


ENGRAVINGS  AND  CARICATURES.  105 


Richard  C.  Lichtenstein,  of  Boston,  has  a 
collection  of  over  three  thousand,  and  of 
these  Revere  engraved  three:  Gardiner  Chan- 
dler,  William  Wetmore,  and  David  Green. 
Doubtless  there  are  others  by  him,  but  they 
are  not  known.  The  above  are  somewhat  rare 
and  considered  valuable  by  collectors.  The 
Wetmore  was  reproduced  in  the  Book  Buyer 
for  March,  1S86,  in  a  series  of  articles  on 
"  Some  American  Book-Plates,"  by  Laurence 
Hutton. 

Without  doubt  he  designed  and  en- 
graved    the    original    of    "  the    chaste  and 

time-honored  "  seal  of 
Phillips  Academy,  An- 
dover,  which  was  the 
gift  of  John  Lowell 
and  Oliver  Wendell, 
grandfather  of  Oliver 
Wendell  Holmes.1 
As  there  were  only 
about  a  half  dozen  copper-plate  engravers  in 


1  Rev.  F.  B.  Makepeace,  in  New  England  Magazine,  for 
April,  18S6,  and  letter  of  Prof.  J.  Wesley  Churchill,  of  An- 
dover,  by  whose  kindness  this  cut  is  used. 


106       ENGRAVINGS  AND  CARICATURES. 


the  country  in  the  pre-revolutionary  days, 
he  undoubtedly  made  many  other  engrav- 
ings of  various  kinds,  which  have  been  lost 
sight  of.1 

Edward  D.  Harris,  of  Yonkers,  N.  Y., 
owns  a  well-executed  book-plate,  which  has 
the  same  general  heraldic  delineations  as 
those  of  the  Revere  coat-of-arms.  It  is 
without  the  motto,  but  has  the  name  be- 
neath "  Paul  Rivoire.'1  Mr.  Harris  thinks 
it  was  engraved  in  England,  and  it  was 
probably  obtained  by  the  senior  Paul,  before 
changing  his  name. 

1  These  engravers  were  Nathaniel  Hurd,  Benjamin  Hurd, 
Thomas  Johnson  and  a  Mr.  Turner,  of  Boston,  Amos  Doo- 
little  of  New  Haven,  and  a  Mrs.  Dawkins  of  Philadelphia; 
perhaps  one  or  two  more. 


The  B  o SToTOANYfcvmg 


ANTE-REVOLUTIONARY  SERVICES. 


CHAPTER  IV. 


ANTE-REVOLUTIONARY  SERVICES. 

Death  of  his  Wife  —  Names  of  Children  —  A  Love 
Ditty  —  Marries  Rachel  Walker  —  The  Sons  of  Lib- 
erty —  The   Boston   Caucuses  —  The   Patriot  Mercury 

—  Destruction  of  the  Tea  —  Thomas  Newell's  Diary  — 
John  Adams'  Letter  —  Ride  to  New  York  and  Phila- 
delphia—  His  Letter  to  Lamb  —  The  Boston  Port  Bill 

—  His  Second  Ride  on  Special  Service  —  New  York 
Sons  of  Liberty — Revere  and  Ludlow's  Meeting  —  An- 
other Letter  to  Lamb  —  His  Port-Bill  Illustration  — 
Declines  to  Serve  on  Grand  Jury  —  Is  on  Continental 
Congress  Resolutions  Committee. 


0 


N  the  3d  of  May,  1773,  Revere's  wife, 
Sarah,  died.  They  had  been  mar- 
ried sixteen  years,  and  had  a  family  of 
eight  children,  as  follows  : 


Deborah,    born  April 
Paul, 
Sarah, 
Mary, 
Frances, 
Mary, 
Elizabeth, 
Hannah, 


April 

3> 

1758;  died 

January 

6, 

1760;  " 

3> 

1762;  " 

March 

lii 

1764; 

February 

J9> 

1766; 

March 

19. 

1768; 

December 

5^ 

1770; 

15. 

1772; 

January  3 
16 

July  5 

April  30 
June  9 
August  — 
[date  unknown.] 
Sept.      19,  1773. 


1797. 
1813. 
1791. 

!765- 
1799. 

1853- 


IIO      A  NTE-RE  VOL  UTIONAR  Y  SER  VICES. 


These  children  were  baptized  in  the 
"  New  Brick  Church,"  within  a  very  few 
days  after  their  birth. 

The  North  Square  home  was  not  long 
without  a  mistress.  "  After  a  few  months, 
his  household  being  in  sore  need  of  a 
mother's  care,  he  married  again  an  excellent 
and  charming  woman,  Rachel  Walker." 1 


/T^/^  ftr*1?*.*  >/-/ 

A  Love  Ditty. 

The  above  is  a  reduced  fac-simile  of  a 
poetic  effusion  which  Revere  penned  on 
the  back  of  a  bill,  "  Mr.  Benjamin  Greene 
To  Paul  Revere  Dr.,"  for  "  Gold  buttons," 
"  Mending  a  Spoon,"  and  "  two  pr  of  Sil- 
ver Shoe  Buckles,"  amounting  to  ^24,  15,  o, 

1  Memorial  of  Paul  Joseph  and  Edzvard  H.  R.  Revere, 
p.  7.  Paul  and  Edward  were  grandsons  of  Paul,  and  were 
both  killed  in  the  war  of  the  Rebellion,  1861-5;  the  one  at 
Gettysburg,  and  the  other  at  Antietam. 


ANTE-RE  VOLUTION AR  V  SER  VICES. 


I  I  I 


and  which  was  found  among  the  leaves  of 
one  of  his  day-books.  The  interpretation  is 
as  follows : 

"  Take  three  fourths  of  a  Paine  that  makes 

Traitors  confess  [Rac] 
With  three  parts  of  a  place  which  the 

Wicked  don't  Bless  [hel] 
Joyne  four  sevenths  of  an  Exercise  which 

shop-keepers  use  [Walk] 
Add  what  Bad  Men  do,  when  they  good 

actions  refuse  [ER-] 
These  four  added  together  with  great  care  and 

Art 

Will  point  out  the  (direct  to  the)  Fair  One  that 
is  nearest  my  Heart." 

Miss  Walker  was  born  in  Boston,  De- 
cember 27,  1745.  They  were  married  Octo- 
ber  10,  1773,  by  Rev.  Samuel  Mather. 

Not  long  after  his  second  marriage 
Revere  entered  the  public  service  in  a  ca- 
pacity which  afterwards  justly  entitled  him 
to  be  called  "  The  Messenger  of  the  Revo- 
lution;"  for,  although  others  acted  as  cou- 
riers, to  him  seems  to  have  been  intrusted 
the   most   important   messages    by  Warren, 


I  12 


A  N  TE-RE  VOL  UTIONA  R  T  SER  VICE S. 


Hancock,  Adams  and  others,  for  several 
years  previous  to,  and  during  the  earlier 
part  of,  our  Revolutionary  struggle.  So 
eminent  were  his  services  in  this  respect 
that  he  has  been  styled  the  "patriot  Mer- 
cury." 1  He  was  one  of  the  first  of  the  famous 
"  Sons  of  Liberty,"  who  began  their  active 
work  at  the  time  of  the  passage  of  the 
"Stamp  Act,"  in  1765,  by  intimidating  the 
stamp-distributors,  and  opposing  the  enforce- 
ment of  the  act  in  every  possible  way.  This 
organization  was  composed  mostly  of  young 
men,  loving  excitement,  but  thoroughly  patri- 
otic. In  the  process  of  time  they  became 
the  most  radical  leaders  in  the  troubles 
with  the  mother  country,  and  promoters  of 
the  War  for  Independence.  They  were 
organized  in  nearly  all  the  Colonies,  and 
their  members  became  distinguished  actors 
on  the  field  and  in  the  civic  councils.2 

1  Prof.  James  K.  Hosmer,  in  Samuel  Adams,  p.  272,  who 
also  called  him  "the  centaur;"  and,  alluding  to  his  services 
in  connection  with  the  adoption  of  the  Federal  Constitution, 
in  1788,  says:  "Paul  Revere,  whose  attributes,  as  he  goes 
on  in  life,  become  rather  those  of  Vulcan  than  Mercury." 

2  Concerning  these  co-patriots  and  their  meetings  for  con- 


ANTE-REVOLUTIONARY  SERVICES.       I  I  3 

Mr.  James  Kimball,  in  the  Historical  Col- 
lections   of  the   Essex  Institute,  vol.    12,  p. 


has  ever  come  to  light.    It  had  its  secret 


informers,  and  they  were  bound  together  in 
defence  of  '  Equality  before  the  Law ;  '  " 
and  he  quotes  the  following  from  a  manu- 
script in  his  possession,  written  by  Col.  John 
Russell,   in   1850,  whose  father  was  one  of 

ference,  the  venerable  George  B.  Proctor,  of  South  Boston, 
relates  the  story  that  his  grandmother  Burroughs  used  to  tell 
him.  They  often  met  in  a  certain  room  of  a  tavern  kept  by 
her  husband,  about  the  year  1770.  As  the  object  of  these 
meetings  was  a  mystery  to  her,  she  resolved  to  secrete  her- 
self in  a  closet  of  this  room  and  listen.  This  she  did,  and 
from  her  hiding-place  heard  the  discussions.  The  subject  of 
debate  was  the  existing  and  growing  troubles  between  the 
colony  and  the  mother  country.  None  of  them,  Hancock, 
Warren,  Revere  and  others,  had  any  idea  of  rebelling,  or 
separating,  except  Sam  Adams.  He  was  the  only  one  that 
advocated  open  resistance;  his  voice  was  always  raised  for 
independence;  all  others  were  for  adjusting  their  grievances 
in  some  other  way.  For  very  interesting  evidence  on  this 
subject,  "Did  the  American  Colonies  desire  Independence  ? " 
see  the  letters  of  John  Jay  and  John  Adams,  in  the  Neiv 
England  Historical  and  Genealogical  Register  for  July,  1876. 


114      A  NTE-RE  VOL  UTIONA  R  T  SER  VICES. 


the  "  Sons,"  and  an  active  participator  in 
those  stirring  scenes,  and  a  schoolmaster  liv- 
ing on  Temple  Street,  Boston :  "  The  Sons  of 
Liberty  consisted  of  an  association  of  spirited 
men,  who  were  determined  to  resist  the 
oppressive  edicts  of  the  British  Ministry,  and 
to  sustain  and  support  each  other  in  their 
efforts  to  rescue  the  town  and  country  from 
the  thraldom  of  tyrannic  power.  On  public 
occasions  each  member  wore  suspended  from 
his  neck  a  medal,  on  one  side  of  which  was 
the  figure  of  a  stalwart  arm,  grasping  in  its 
hand  a  pole  surmounted  with  a  Cap  of  Lib- 
erty, and  surrounded  by  the  words  '  Sons  of 
Liberty.'  On  the  reverse  was  the  emblem  of 
the  Liberty  Tree.  One  of  these  medals  I 
once  had  in  my  possession,  with  the  initials 
of  my  father's  name,  W.  R.,  engraved  there- 
on, but  it  was  many  years  ago  irrecoverably 
lost."  And  Isaac  Q.  Leake,  in  his  Life 
and  Times  of  General  John  Lamb,  p.  2, 
says :  "  These  were  the  men  who  banded 
themselves  together  at  the  first  encroach- 
ments of  the  mother  country,  under  the  des- 
ignation of  associated  Sons  of  Liberty  ;  and 


A NTE-RE  VOL  UTIONA R  2 '  SER  VICES. 


115 


whose  boldness  and  constancy  drove  the 
ministerial  party  to  abandon  their  attempts 
and  to  mask  their  resolved  purposes  under 
measures  less  palpable  to  the  general  percep- 
tion:' 

On  the  14th  of  August,  1769,  the  anni- 
versary of  the  enforced  resignation  of  the 
stamp-distributor,  about  three  hundred  of 
these  "  Sons  of  Liberty  "  dined  at  "  Liberty 
Tree,"  Dorchester.  Among  these  were  Dr. 
Joseph  Warren,  Samuel  Adams,  John 
Adams,  John  Hancock,  the  Otises,  James 
Bowdoin,  Paul  Revere,  the  Quincys,  and 
many  others,  who  were  afterwards  more 
or  less  prominent  in  the  history  of  our  coun- 
try.1 

For  some  years  before  the  Revolution 
there  were  many  clubs  and  caucuses  in  Bos- 
ton, besides  the  "  Sons  of  Liberty."  Their 
proceedings,  also,  were  generally  secret. 
Resolutions  were  adopted ;  men  selected  to 
be    supported    for    public  office ;  and  many 


1  A  complete  list  of  these  "Sons  of  Liberty"  is  given  in 
the  Proceedings  of  the  Massachusetts  Historical  Society,  for 
August,  1869,  p.  140. 


I  1 6      A NTE-RE  VOL  UTIONA  R  T  SER  VICES. 


weighty  matters  discussed,  and  courses  of 
action  decided  upon.  The  membership  was 
composed  largely  of  mechanics  and  traders.1 
There  was  the  "  North  End  Caucus,"  the 
"  South  End  Caucus  "  and  the  "  Middle 
District  Caucus  • "  besides  these  there  was 
the  "  Long  Room  Club : "  all  "  owning 
allegiance  to  the  1  Sons  of  Liberty.' "  In 
two  of  these,  at  least,  Revere  was  a  mem- 
ber: the  "Long  Room  Club"  and  the 
"  North  End  Caucus."  In  their  councils 
he  took  an  active  part,  thus  helping  to 
shape  the  actions  of  these  co-patriots,  which 
had  so  important  an  influence  in  the  Rev- 
olutionary War. 

The  most  important,  and  most  noted, 
perhaps,  of  these  clubs,  was  the  "  North  End 
Caucus."  To  this  belonged  Warren,  Sam- 
uel   Adams,  —  "  with    the   inspiration  of  his 

'  Boston  was  literally  full  of  clubs  and  caucuses,  which 
were  used  with  great  effect  to  secure  unity  of  action.  Here 
town  politics  were  freely  talked  over,  and  political  measures 
were  determined  upon.  .  .  .  They  were  rather  societies  than 
public  meetings  as  understood  by  this  term  at  the  present  time. 
—  History  of  the  Siege  of  Boston,  by  Richard  Frothingham, 
p.  29. 


A  N TE- RE  VOL  UTIONA  R  Y  SER  VICES.       I  1 7 


fiery  zeal  and  his  incontrovertible  logic,'' 
—  John  Adams,  Church,  Young,  Edes  and 
other  noted  men.  It  was  organized  as  early 
as  1767,  but  there  are  no  records  earlier 
than  March  23,  1772.  In  that  year  it  met 
in  the  Salutation  Tavern,1  kept  by  William 
Campbell,  on  Salutation  Alley,  —  now  Sal- 
utation Street, — corner  of  Ship,  now  North, 
Street.  "  Here  they  organized  their  caucus 
which  proved  such  an  annoyance  to  the 
royalists,  and  paved  the  way  for  the  united 
action  of  the  patriots  in  the  Revolutionary 
movement."  2 

This  caucus  also  met  in  the  Green 
Dragon  Tavern  a  portion  of  the  time. 
Its  records  from  March  23,  1772,  to  May 
9,  1774,  have  been  preserved,  together  wTith 
a  list  of  its  members.  These  records  clear- 
ly show  where  and  how  some  of  the  im- 
portant   acts    that    took    place  originated  ; 

1  So  named  from  a  sign  of  much  elegance,  which  repre- 
sented two  gentlemen  dressed  in  most  fashionable  attire, 
small  clothes  and  cocked  hats,  in  the  act  of  shaking  hands. 

2  Rev.  Edward  G.  Porter  in  Rambles  in  Old  Boston, 
p.  272. 


I  1 8       ANTE-REVOLUTIONARY  SERVICES. 


particularly  that  concerning  the  destruction 
of  the  tea.1 

As  a  messenger  between  the  Provincial 
and  Continental  Congresses,  from  one  Col- 
ony to  another,  and  in  many  other  ways, 
Revere's  services  were  called  into  requisi- 
tion on  many  occasions.2  He  travelled 
thousands  of  miles  on  horseback,  during 
troublous  times,  when  railroads  and  steam- 
boats were  unknown.  During  all  these  years 
he  had  a  large  family  dependent  upon 
him :  yet  he  was  so  constituted  as  to  find 
sufficient  leisure  to  interest  himself  with  all 
the  matters  pertaining  to  the  public  good, 
watching  closely  the  course  of  political 
events     in     these     pre-revolutionary  days. 

1  See  Appendix  C. 

8  Frothingham  says,  while  enumerating  the  different 
"Boston  Patriots:"  "Paul  Revere,  an  ingenious  goldsmith, 
as  able  to  engrave  a  lampoon  as  to  rally  a  caucus,  was  the 
ready  confidential  messenger  of  the  patriots  and  the  great 
leader  of  the  mechanics."  (Siege  of  Boston,  p.  23.)  And 
Dr.  Benson  J.  Lossing,  in  his  History  of  the  United 
States,  thus  refers  to  him  :  "  Like  those  of  Isaac  Sears 
of  New  York,  his  eminent  services  in  the  cause  of  freedom 
have  been  overlooked.  Their  fame  is  eclipsed  by  men  of 
greater  minds,  but  of  no  sturdier  patriotism." 


ANTE-RE  VOL  UTIONAR  2'  SER  VICES. 


II9 


"  With  well-considered,  settled  opinions,  his 
will  was  strong ;  while  his  general  gifts 
rendered  him  competent  to  great  emergen- 
cies, and  equal  to  great  events.  The 
result  was,  that  in  a  crisis  like  that  of  rous- 
ing the  people  to  conflict  on  the  eve  of  the 
first  struggle  for  our  Independence,  he  was 
the  wise  counsellor  at  home,  and  the  daring 
actor  in  the  field."  1 

His  first  important  ride  as  messenger 
was  in  connection  with  the  destruction  of 
the  tea  in  Boston  Harbor.  With  the  history 
of  that  fateful  event  he  is  very  closely  con- 
nected. The  ship  "  Dartmouth,"  with  one 
hundred  and  fourteen  chests  of  tea,  arrived 
at  Boston,  on  Sunday,  November  28,  1773. 
This  caused  great  excitement,  and  the  next 
day  the  following  broadside  was  issued  : 

"FRIENDS!  BRETHREN!  COUNTRY- 
MEN ! 

"  That  worst    of    Plagues,  the  detested 

TEA,  shipped  for   this  Port  by  the  East 

1  Memorial  of  Paul  Joseph  and  Ed-ward  H.  R.  Revere, 
p.  7. 


120 


A  NTE-RE  VOL  UTIONA  RT  SER  VICE S. 


India  Company,  is  now  arrived  in  this  Har- 
bour. The  Hour  of  Destruction  or  manly 
Opposition  to  the  Machinations  of  Tyranny, 
stares  you  in  the  Face ;  every  Friend  to  this 
Country,  to  himself  and  to  Posterity,  is  now 
called  upon  to  meet  at  Faneuil  Hall,  at 
Nine  o'clock 

"THIS  DAY, 
(at  which  Time  the  Bells  will  ring),  to  make 
a  united  and  successful   Resistance  to  this 
last,  worst,   and  most   destructive  Measure 
of  Administration. 

"Boston,   November  29,  1773." 

Soon  after,  two  other  vessels,  —  the  ship 
"Eleanor"  and  brig  "Beaver," — also  bring- 
ing tea,  —  arrived,  and  all  three  vessels  were 
moored  at  Griffin's,  now  Liverpool,  Wharf. 

In  accordance  with  the  above  notice,  on 
Monday,  November  29,  meetings  were  held, 
first  at  Faneuil  Hall,  and  then  in  the  Old  South 
Meeting-house,  in  which  Joseph  Warren, 
Samuel  Adams,  John  Hancock,  Dr.  Thomas 
Young  and  others  took  part.  Adams'  reso- 
lution, "that  the  tea  should  not  be  landed; 


ANTE-RE  VOL  UTIONAR  Y  SER  VICES. 


121 


that  it  should  be  sent  back  in  the  same  bot- 
tom to  the  place  whence  it  came,  at  all 
events,  and  that  no  duty  should  be  paid  on 
it,"  was  unanimously  adopted.  A  guard  of 
twenty-five  men  was  appointed  to  see  that 
the  tea  was  not  landed.  The  names  of  those 
only  who  served  the  first  two  nights  have 
been  preserved. 1  In  the  first  night's  guard, 
under  command  of  Capt.  Edward  Proctor, 
appears  the  name  of  Paul  Revere.  Doubt- 
less he  served  also  on  some  of  the  remain- 
ing nights.  John  Hancock,  Samuel  Adams 
and  Henry  Knox  were  among  the  volun- 
teers. 

The  destruction  of  this  tea  was  not 
only  discussed  and  resolved  upon  by  the 
"  North  End  Caucus/'  but  it  interfered  with 
the  councils  of  the  Masonic  body,  of  which 
Revere  was  also  a  member,  as  is  evidenced 
by  the  records  of  Saint  Andrew's  Lodge, 

1  These  are  given  in  Tea  Leaves.  Being  a  Collection  of 
Letters  and  Documc?its  relating  to  the  Shipment  of  Tea  to 
the  America?i  Colonies  in  the  Year  1773,  by  the  East  India 
Tea  Company.  With  an  Introduction,  Notes,  and  Biograph- 
ical Notices  of  the  Boston  Tea  Party,  by  Francis  S.  Drake, 
p.  46. 


122 


A NTE-RE  VOL  UTIONA R T  SER  VICES. 


which  owned  and  met  in  the  Green  Dragon 
Tavern.  On  the  clay  the  tea  arrived  the 
record  is  :     "  Lodge  adjourned    on  account 


{2<ru&  ^u)-i^>   AZv&io^  ^la^-^f   a^z^yb-bvytJ^C;  — 

i^n^Ls  &**f~&Ce,  <zc<<?~?f&&C.  <~*z^y  <?  i^sZ^^^f  ^ 

From   "A  Ballad  of  the  Boston  Tea-party." 


of  the  few  Brothers  present.  N.  B.  Con- 
signees of  Tea  took  the  Brethren's  time." 
And  on  December  16,  the  day  the  tea  was 
thrown  overboard :  "  Lodge  closed  on  ac- 
count of  the  few  members  in  attendance, 
until  to-morrow  evening."  Most  of  the 
prominent    Masons  were    members    of  the 


THE  MOHAWK  TEA  PROCLAMATION. 


tZr^<J,A*3  ^^^^ Jir-eY^^^^^^^ 


THE  MOHAWK  TEA  PROCLAMATION. 


ANTE-REVOLUTION AR7'  SERVICES.  \2J 


different  clubs,  of  the  "  Sons  of  Liberty," 
and  of  this  "  tea-party."  1 

On  the  evening  of  the  16th  of  December, 
after  Samuel  Adams,  in  the  excited  gather- 
ing in  the  "  Old  South,"  had  pronounced 
the  fatal  words :  "  This  meeting  can  do 
nothing  more  to  save  the  country,"  and 
some  one  in  the  gallery  had  cried  out : 
"  Boston  Harbor  a  tea-pot  to-night !  Hurrah 
for  Griffin's  Wharf !  "  a  band  of  men,  several 

1  The  Centennial  Memorial  of  Saint  Andrew's  Lodge,  a 
handsomely  executed  volume,  says  that  the  tradition  of  the 
Lodge  is  :  "  that  all  the  preliminary  measures  in  this  affair 
were  matured  at  the  Green  Dragon,  and  that  the  execution 
of  them  was  committed  mainly  to  the  members  of  the  North 
End  Caucus,  —  that  stalwart  and  fearless  band  of  North  End 
mechanics,  whose  directing  genius  was  Warren, — having  the 
co-operation  of  the  more  daring  of  the  '  Sons  of  Liberty.' 
That  Warren  was  present  as  a  leader  in  the  affair,  does  not 
admit  of  any  serious  doubt  ;  nor  is  there  any  question  that 
his  personal  friends,  Samuel  Adams,  John  Hancock,  Joseph 
Webb,  Paul  Revere,  Thomas  Melville,  Adam  Collson,  Henry 
Purkett  (who  used  modestly  to  say  he  was  present  only  as 
a  spectator,  and  in  disobedience  to  the  orders  of  his  master, 
who  was  actively  present),  and  other  patriots  of  the  day,  were 
■cognizant  of  it, — and  some  of  whom  at  least  are  known  to 
have  participated  in  its  final  consummation.  It  was  the  first 
act  in  the  great  drama,  the  conclusion  of  which  was  the  in- 
dependence of  the  country." 


128      ANTE-REVOLUTIONARY  SERVICES. 

4 


of  whom  were  disguised  as  Indians,1  pro- 
ceeded, in  an  orderly  manner,  to  the  wharf, 
boarded  the  vessels,  and  deliberately  burst 
open,  with  hatchets  and  axes,  three  hun- 
dred and  forty-two  chests  of  tea,  and  spilled 
their  contents  into  the  waters  below.  This 
tea  was  valued  at  ;£  18,000.  In  this  "tea- 
party,"  and  one  of  its  most  active  mem- 
bers, was  Paul  Revere.2     The   account  of 

1  The  following  is  a  "Fragment  of  a  Rallying  Song  of 

the  Tea  Party  at  the  Green  Dragon,"  sung  at  this  time: 

"Rally  Mohawks!  bring  out  your  axes, 
And  tell  King  George  we'll  pay  no  taxes 

On  his  foreign  tea; 
His  threats  are  vain,  and  vain  to  think 
To  force  our  girls  and  wives  to  drink 

His  vile  Bohea! 
Then  rally  boys,  and  hasten  on 
To  meet  our  chiefs  at  the  Green  Dragon 

i(  Our  Warren's  there,  and  bold  Revere, 
With  hands  to  do,  and  words  to  cheer, 

For  liberty  and  laws; 
Our  country's  "braves"  and  firm  defenders 
Shall  ne'er  be  left  by  true  North-Enders 

Fighting  Freedoms  cause! 
Then  rally  boys,  and  hasten  on 
To  meet  our  chiefs  at  the  Green  Dragon." 

"Paul  Revere,  that  true  American,  one  of  those  that 
planned  and  executed  the  most  daring  projects  which  char- 
acterized the  times — the  throwing  over  the  tea  in  Boston  har- 
bor." (Marshall  P.  Wilder's  Address  before  the  New  England 
Historical  and  Genealogical  Society,  January,  1872.)  "An 
event,"  says  another,  "which  has  never  yet  been  so  copiously 
described  nor  so  elaborately  considered  in  its  effects,  as  it  de- 


.X,  <^  ~~jUz>L  tdr    Jul/  JU** 

EXTRACT  FROM  DIARY  OF  JOHN  ADAMS. 


-  fir  , i*   i/,*iwu'  w» 

I,  ,  a  jet  -  >Mj  «mt  \U+4- 

tyke  QiuJi^  U  *>LJU*  f  XutZ+^t^  jM^Jlas 

EXTRACT  FROM  DIARY  OF  JOHN  ADAMS. 


ANTE-RE  VOL  UTIONA RY  SER  VICES. 


131 


this  transaction  was  drawn  up  by  the  Boston 
Committee  of  Correspondence,  and  on  the 
next  day,  the  17th,  sent  to  New  York  and 
Philadelphia,  by  Paul  Revere,  the  bearer  of 
dispatches.  The  letter  to  the  New  York 
"  Sons  of  Liberty,"  dated  Boston,  December 
17,  1773,  said:  "The  bearer  is  chosen  by  the 
committee  from  a  number  of  gentlemen,  who 
volunteered  to  carry  you  this  intelligence. 
We  are  in  a  perfect  jubilee.  Not  a  Tory  in 
the  whole  community  can  find  the  least  fault 
with  our  proceedings.  .  .  .  The  spirit 
of  the  people  throughout  the  country  is  to 
be  described  by  no  terms  in  my  power. 
Their  conduct  last  night  surprised  the  ad- 
miral and  English  gentlemen,  who  observed 
that  these  were  not  a  mob  of  disorderly 
rabble,  (as  they  have  been  reported,)  but 
men  of  sense,  coolness  and  intrepidity.' 
Revere  reached  Philadelphia  the  day  after 
Christmas.    His    return    to   Boston  is  thus 

serves,  by  the  philosophical  historian."  "This  Destruction  of 
the  Tea  is  so  bold,  so  daring,  so  firm,  intrepid,  &  inflexible, 
and  it  must  have  so  important  Consequences,  and  so  lasting, 
that  I  cannot  but  consider  it  as  an  Epocha  in  History." 
(Diary  of  John  Adams,  December  17,  1773.) 


132 


ANTE-RE  VOL  V TIONA R  Y  SER  VICES. 


recorded  in  the  diary  of  Mr.  Thomas  Newell, 
—  printed  in  Proceedings  of  Massachusetts 
Historical  Society,  for  1876-77,  — under 
date  of  December  28  :  "  Last  evening  Mr. 
Paul  Revere  returned  here  from  New  York. 
(The  news  of  the  destruction  of  the  tea 
here  gave  great  satisfaction  to  all  friends  to 
liberty.)  At  York,  Governor  Tryon  has  en- 
gaged to  send  the  tea-ships  back  to  the 
place  from  whence  they  came.  (Upon  this 
news  all  the  bells  in  town  were  rung  this 
morning.)" 

Messages  concerning  the  destruction  of 
this  tea  were  sent  in  other  directions  also. 
Here  is  one  copied  from  the  autograph  in 
Samuel  Adams'  papers,  "  the  t's  for  the 
most  part  uncrossed,  and  punctuation  neg- 
lected in  the  breathless  haste  in  which  it 
was  written."  1 

"  Boston,  Dec.  17th,  1773. 
"  Gentlemen,  —  We  inform  you  in  great 
Haste  that  every  chest  of  Tea  on  board  the 
three    Ships    in    this    Town  was  destroyed 


Samuel  Adams,  by  James  K.   Hosmer,  p.  256. 


ANTE-REVOLUTION  ART  SERVICES.       1 33 


the  last  evening  without  the  least  Injury 
to  the  Vessels  or  any  other  property.  Our 
Enemies  must  acknowledge  that  these 
people  have  acted  upon  pure  and  upright 
Principle,  the  people  at  the  Cape  will  we 
hope  behave  with  propriety  and  as  becomes 
men  resolved  to  save  their  Country. 

"To  Plym0 

"  &  to  Sandwich  with  this  addition 

"  We  trust  you  will  afford  them  Your 
immediate  Assistance  and  Advice." 

The  allusion  in  the  close  of  the  note  is 
to  a  fourth  tea-ship  which  had  been  cast 
away  on   the    Cape   Cod  shore. 1 

Of  those  who  took  part  in  this  affair,  so 
important  in  its  result,  Drake  says,  in  his 
Tea  Leaves :  "  But  two  of  the  recognized 
leaders  of  the  people  were  there,  —  Dr. 
Young  and  Thomas  Molineux.  Most  of 
them  were  mechanics  and  apprentices,  but 
they  were  mechanics  of  the  stamp  of  Revere, 
Howard,  Wheeler,  Crane  and  Peck,  men  who 
could   restrain  and  keep  in  due  subordina- 

1  Samuel  Adams,  p.  256. 


134       ANTE-RE  VOL  UTIONAR  T  SERVICES. 


tion  the  more  fiery  and  dangerous  element 
always   present   in  popular  demonstrations." 

Concerning  this  momentous  event,  John 
Adams  wrote  to  General  James  Warren  of 
Plymouth,  on  the  day  after  it  took  place, 
as  follows  : 

"  Boston,  Dec.  17,  1773. 

"  DR  Sir,  The  Dye  is  cast !  The  People 
have  passed  the  River  and  cutt  away  the 
Bridge !  last  Night  Three  Cargoes  of  Tea 
were  emptied  into  the  Harbour.  This  is 
the  grandest  Event  which  has  ever  yet  hap- 
pened  Since  the  Controversy  with  Britain 
opened!    The  Sublimity  of   it,  charms  me! 

.  .  .  Threats,  Phantoms,  Bugbears,  by 
the  million,  will  be  invented  and  propagated 
among  the  People  upon  this  Occasion — In- 
dividuals will  be  threatned  with  Suits  and 
Prosecutions,  Armies  and  Navies  will  be 
talked  of,  military  Executions  —  Charters  an- 
null'd  —  Treason  —  Tryals  in  England  and 
all  that  —  But  —  these  Terrors  are  all  but 
Imaginations  —  Yet  if  they  should  become 
Realities  they  had  better  be  suffered,  than 


A  NTE-RE  VOL  UTIONA  RV  SERV1  CBS. 


135 


the  great  Principle,  of 
Parliamentary  Taxation 
given  up  — 

"  The  Town  of  Bos- 
ton was  never  more 
still  and  calm  of  a 
Saturday  night  than  it 
was  last  Night.  All 
Things  were  conducted 
with  great  order,  De- 
cency and  perfect  sub- 
mission to  Govern- 
ment.—  No  Doubt,  We 
all  thought  the  Ad- 
ministration in  better 
Hands  than  it  had 
been."  1 

In  the 

Memoir 
of  the 
Life  and 
Times  of 

General  John    Lamb,   Mr.   Isaac  Q.  Leake 

From  a  letter  in  possession  of  Winslow  Warren,  first 
published  in  Boston  Daily  Advertiser,  December  16,  1871. 


136  ANTE-REVOLUTION  ART  SERVICES. 


quotes  from  the  following  letter  concerning 
the  supplemental  destruction  of  tea,  which  he 
says  is  not  mentioned  in  any  history  that  he 
had  seen,  saying:  "Yet  there  can  be  no 
doubt  that  the  event  took  place,  as  the 
writer  of  the  letter  was  one  of  the  most  re- 
liable of  the  eastern  patriots,  and  undoubt- 
edly concerned  in  the  original  transaction 
of  1 6th  December." 

"Boston,  28  March,  1774. 
SR,  Your  favor  of  the  28  of  Feby  came 
safe  to  hand  having  observed  the  contents 
I  am  highly  pleased  with  the  plan,  which  the 
Bearer  of  your  kind  Epistile,  has  formed. 
He  appears  to  me  to  be  a  sensible  Gentle- 
man, &  well  calculated  to  carry  it  into  exe- 
cution, I  think  it  is  one  of  the  greatest 
strokes  that  our  Enemies  have  mett  with 
(except  the  late  affairs  of  the  Tea)  since  the 
Year  1768.  Our  Committe  of  Corrispond- 
ence  like  the  plan  much,  and  have  done  all 
in  their  power  to  fix  it,  and  all  our  true 
sons  highly  approve  off  it,  this  day  Mr  God- 
dard  setts  off  for  the  Eastward,  our  Com- 


ANTE-REVOLUTION  ART  SERVICES.       I  37 


mitte  have  wrote  to  all  the  committes  of 
correspondence  between  here  &  Falmouth 
stating  the  case  and  as  soon  as  they  hear 
from  them  if  they  adopt  the  plan  (which  no 
doubt  but  they  will)  measures  will  be  taken 
to  carry  it  imeaditly  into  Execution.  You 
have  no  doubt  heard  the  particulars  relating 
•  to  the  last  28  Chest  of  Tea,  it  was  disposed 
off  in  the  same  manner  as  I  informed  you 
of  the  Other.  &  should  500  more  come,  it 
will  go  the  same  way  Yesterday  a  Vesell 
arrived  here  from  Antigua  the  Cap1,  says 
your  Tea  Vessel  was  to  sail  3  days  after 
him,  so  that  by  the  next  Post  I  expect  to 
hear  a  good  account  of  it. 

"  Your  Humble  Servant 
"(pray  Excuse  this  scrawl      Paul  Revere."1 

The  plan  referred  to  in  this  letter  was 
an  attempt  to  organize  an  independent 
mail  establishment  known  as  the  "  Post 
Office  Scheme,"  by  William  Goddard,  pub- 
lisher  of   the    Maryland  Journal,  of  Balti- 

1  From  the  "Lamb  Papers"  in  possession  of  the  New 
York  Historical  Society. 


140      ANTE-REVOLUTIONARY  SERVICES. 


more,  and  he  was  partially  successful  in 
his  effort.  John  Holt  was  Postmaster  of 
New  York  in  1775.  Leake's  Life  of  John 
Lamb  gives  some  details  of  this  scheme. 

According  to  Mr.  Leake,  Lamb  signal- 
ized the  destruction  of  the  tea  in  New 
York  harbor,  just  as  Revere  did  the  "  Stamp 
Act,"  "  Boston  Massacre,"  and  other  like 
historic  events ;  he  made  an  etching  on 
copper  illustrating  that  event,  a  copy  of 
which  was  in  his  family  for  many  years ; 
now  all  traces  of  it  are  gone,  and  no  other 
is  known  to  exist. 

Reveres  next  ride  was  in  connection 
with  the  "  Boston  Port  Bill,"  1  which  became 
law  by  receiving  the  royal  signature  on  the 
31st  of  March,  1774,  was  printed  in  the 
Boston  journals  on  the  10th  of  May  follow- 
ing, and  went  into  effect  on  the  1st  of  June. 

The  Committee   of   Correspondence  im- 

1  Commonly  so  called ;  as  passed  by  the  British  Parliament 
it  was  entitled:  "An  Act  to  discontinue,  in  such  manner,  and 
for  such  time,  as  are  therein  mentioned,  the  landing  and  dis- 
charging, the  lading  or  shipping  of  goods,  wares,  merchan- 
dise, at  the  town,  and  within  the  harbour  of  Boston,  in  the 
Province  of  Massachusetts  Bay." 


ANTE  REVOLUTIONARY  SERVICES.       1 43 


mediately  directed  Warren  to  call  a 
meeting  of  representatives  of  Boston  and 
the  eight  neighboring  towns,  Dorchester, 
Roxbury,  Brookline,  Newton,  Cambridge, 
Charlestown,  Lynn  and  Lexington,  for  the 
12th  of  May,  to  deliberate  "on  the  critical 
state  of  affairs. "  This  meeting  was  held  in 
Faneuil  Hall  and  Samuel  Adams  presided. 
These  representatives  voted  that  it  was 
their  opinion  that  "  if  the  other  colonies 
come  into  a  joint  resolution  to  stop  all  im- 
portation from,  and  exportation  to,  Great  Brit- 
ain and  every  part  of  the  West  Indies  till 
the  act  be  repealed,  the  same  will  prove  the 
salvation  of  North  America  and  her  liber- 
ties ;  and  that  the  impolicy,  injustice,  in- 
humanity, and  cruelty  of  the  act  exceed  all 
our  powers  of  expression.  We,  therefore 
leave  it  to  the  just  censure  of  others,  and 
appeal  to  God  and  the  world." 

The  next  day  a  town-meeting  was  held 
with  Samuel  Adams  as  moderator,  when 
decisive  action  was  taken.  The  result  of 
that  meeting  was  drawn  up  by  Adams,  who 
accompanied  his  report  with  this  appeal  to 


144      ANTE-REVOLUTIONARY  SERVICES. 


the  other  colonies,  requesting  them  to  unite 
with  Massachusetts  in  this  struggle :  "  The 
people  receive  the  edict  with  indignation. 
It  is  expected  by  their  enemies,  and .  feared 
by  some  of  their  friends,  that  this  town 
singly  will  not  be  able  to  support  the  cause 
under  so  severe  a  trial.  As  the  very  being 
of  every  colony,  considered  as  a  free  people, 
depends  upon  the  event,  a  thought  so  dis- 
honorable to  our  brethren  cannot  be  en- 
tertained as  that  this  town  will  be  left  to 
struo;gle  alone."  Revere  was  entrusted  with 
these  messages  to  the  sister  colonies.  He 
began  his  journey  on  the  next  day,  the 
14th,1  and  reached  Philadelphia  on  the  eve- 
ning of  the  20th  ;  accomplishing  his  journey 
in  a  little  less  than  six  days.  Newell's  diary, 
before  quoted,  has  this  account  of  this  tran- 
saction, under  date  of  May  13:  "Town 
meeting  to  consider  proper  measures  to  be 

1  At  a  town  meeting  held  May  18,  the  Moderator,  Samuel 
Adams,  "  informed  the  Inhabitants  that  agreeable  to  the  Order 
of  the  Town  he  had  enclosed  an  attested  Copy  of  Town  Votes 
in  Letters  to  the  several  Provinces,  by  Mr  Reviere,  who  set 
out  last  Saturday,  &  that  he  should  forward  Copies  as  Oppor- 
tunities presented." 


ANTE-REVOLUTIONARY  SERVICES.  145 


taken  under  our  public  affairs,  more  especi- 
ally relative  to  the  late  edict  of  a  British 
Parliament  for  blocking  up  the  harbor  of 
Boston,  and  annihilating  the  same.  A  com- 
mittee was  chosen  to  go  to  several  towns. 
Mr.  P.  Revere  was  chosen  to  go  express  to 
New  York  and  Philadelphia,  &c.  &c." 

His  arrival  in  New  York  with  these  im- 
portant papers  is  thus  chronicled  :  "  At  the 
first  meeting  of  the  Committee  of  Fifty  One, 
the  messenger  from  Boston  to  Philadelphia, 
Paul  Revere,  made  his  appearance,  and  de- 
livered the  official  proceedings  of  the  Boston 
town  meeting,  of  the  13th  May,  urging  con- 
currence on  the  part  of  New  York."  1 

On  the  evening  of  his  arrival  at  Phila- 
delphia a  meeting  of  citizens  was  held  to 
consider  "  the  execrable  Port  Bill,"  and  it 
was  unanimously  resolved  to  make  the 
cause  of  Boston  their  own.  "  While  they  rec- 
ommended firmness,  prudence,  and  modera- 
tion "  to  the  inhabitants  of  Boston,  they 
gave  assurance  "  that  the  citizens  of  Phila- 
delphia would  continue  to  evince  their  firm 

1  Life  of  John  Lamb,  by  Isaac         Leake,  p.  88. 


146     ANTE-REVOLUTIONARY  SERVICES. 


adherence  to  the  cause  of  American  Lib- 
erty.'' To  show  their  earnestness  of  pur- 
pose, they  then  chose  a  committee  of 
correspondence  consisting  of  Rev.  William 
Smith  (who  is  now  known  to  have  drafted 
the  reply  to  the  Boston  committee),  Thomas 
Mifflin,  George  Clymer,  Charles  Thomson 
and  others.  "  They  transmitted,"  says  the 
Essex  Gazette,  "by  the  hands  of  Paul  Re- 
vere, to  Boston,  these  sentiments  of  the 
people,  and  '  their  resolution  to  stand  by 
us  to  the  last  extremity.'  They  further  '  ad- 
vised, in  a  copy  of  their  letter  sent  to  New 
York  and  to  the  southern  colonies,  that 
the  first  step  that  ought  to  be  taken  was  to 
call  a  General  Congress  of  all  the  Colo- 
nies.  1 

In  due  time  Revere  brought  back  to  Bos- 
ton the  responses  of  the  different  colonies ; 
and  a  letter  to  the  Essex  Gazette,  dated  Bos- 
ton, May  30,   1774,  said: 

"  On  Saturday  last,  Mr.  Paul  Revere  re- 

1  Historical  Account  of  the  Old  State  House  of  Pennsylvania, 
now  known  as  "  The  Hall  of  Independence"  by  Frank  M.  Etting, 
P-  74- 


ANTE-RE  VOL  UTIONA R  V  SER  VICES. 


147 


turned  from  Philadelphia,  having  been  sent 
express  to  the  Southern  Colonies,  with  in- 
telligence of  the  late  rash,  impolitic  and 
vindictive  measures  of  the  British  Parlia- 
ment, who,  by  the  execrable  Port  Bill,  have 
held  out  to  us  a  most  incontestable  argu- 
ment why  we  ought  to  submit  to  their  juris- 
diction; and  what  rich  blessings  we  may 
secure  to  ourselves  and  posterity,  by  an  ac- 
quiescence in  their  lenity,  wisdom,  and  jus- 
tice. Nothing  can  exceed  the  indignation 
with  which  our  brethren  in  Rhode  Island, 
Connecticut,  New  York  and  Philadelphia 
have  received  this  proof  of  ministerial  mad- 
ness. They  universally  declare  their  resolu. 
tion  to  stand  by  us  to  the  last  extremity."  1 
When  the  "Sons  of  Liberty"  of  New 
York  learned  of  the  passage  of  the  "  Boston 

1  The  following  from  the  Revere  papers  pertains  to  this 
trip  to  Philadelphia  : 

1774      Paul  Revere       To  David  Wood  Dr 

May  28    To  a  Journey  of  My  Horse  to  Kings  Bridge  \  £ 

New  York       234  Miles  at  3  |  pr  Mile  J  30.  2.  o  os 

Boston,  June  25  1774  Receivd  the  Contents  £4.  o.  3 

L  money 

David  Wood 


I48      ANTE-R EVOLUTIONARY  SERVICES. 


Port  Bill "  they  held  a  meeting  in  Hamp- 
den Hall,  at  which  they  resolved  to  "  stand 
by  Boston  in  its  hour  of  distress."  These 
resolutions  and  a  letter  dated  May  14th,  in 
which  the  patriots  of  Boston  were  entreated 
to  stand  firm,  were  sent  by  express  to  Bos- 
ton by  John  Ludlow,  "  who  rode  swiftly 
with  them,  on  a  black  horse,  toward  the 
New  England  capital.  He  told  their  im- 
port as  he  coursed  through  Connecticut  and 
Rhode  Island.  Near  Providence,  on  the 
edge  of  a  wood  that  was  just  receiving  its 
summer  foliage,  by  a  cool  spring,  he  met 
Paul  Revere,  riding  express  on  a  large  gray 
horse,  bearing  to  New  York  and  Philadel- 
phia assurances  of  the  faith  and  firmness 
of  the  Bostonians,  and  to  invoke  sympathy 
and  co-operation.  Revere  also  carried  a 
large  number  of  printed  copies  of  the  act 
made  sombre  by  heavy  black  lines,  and  gar- 
nished with  the  picture  of  a  crown,  a  skull 
and  cross-bones,  undoubtedly  engraved  by 
Revere  himself.1    These  he  scattered  through 

1  Over  the  skull  was  a  rude  resemblance  of  a  crown,  and 
beneath  the  bones  that  of  the  cap  of  Liberty,  denoting  that 
all  was  death  and  destruction  between  the  crown  and  liberty. 


A  NTE-RE  VOL  UTIONA  R  T  SER  VICE  S. 


149 


the  villages  on  his  way,  where  they  were 
carried  about  the  streets  with  the  cry  of 
'  Barbarous,  cruel,  bloody  and  inhuman  mur- 
der !  '  Revere  and  Ludlow  took  a  hasty 
lunch  together  at  the  spring,  and  then 
pressed  forward  on  their  holy  mission." 1 

That  active  patriot  and  "  Son  of  Lib- 
erty," Dr.  Thomas  Young,  wrote  an  ac- 
count of  the  Boston  meeting  and  action,  to 
Mr.  John  Lamb,  of  New  York,  dated  May 
13,  1774,  in  which  he  says:  "My  worthy 
friend,  Revere,  again  revisits  you.  No  man 
of  his  rank  and  opportunities  in  life  deserves 
better  of  the  community.  Steady,  vigorous, 
sensible  and  persevering." 

It  was  about  this  time  that  Gen.  Gage 
came  to  the  conclusion  that  the  time  for 
"conciliation,  moderation,  and  reasoning" 
was  over,  and  ordered  cannon  from  the 
Common  to  the  main  entrance  to  the 
town  of  Boston.  This  order  occasioned 
much  alarm,  and  Revere  wrote  to  Lamb  as 
follows  : 


1  Our  Country,  by  Benson  J.  Lossing,  p.  716. 


150  ANTE-REVOLUTION  ART  SERVICES. 


"  Boston  Septr  4  1774 
"  Dear  Sr,  I  embrace  this  oppertunity  to 
inform  you,  that  we  are  in  Spirits,  tho'  in  a 
Garrison  ;  the  Spirit  of  Liberty  never  was 
higher  than  at  present ;  the  Troops  have 
the  horrors  amazingly,  by  reason  of  some 
late  movements  of  our  friends  in  the  Country 
the  week  past,  our  new  fangled  Councellors 
are  resigning  theire  places  every  Day ;  our 
Justices  of  the  Courts,  who  now  hold  their 
Commissions  during  the  pleasure  of  his 
Majesty,  or  the  Governor,  cannot  git  a 
Jury  that  will  act  with  them,  in  short  the 
Tories  are  giving  way  every  where  in  our 
Province.  The  Bearrer  of  this,  Mr.  John 
Marston,  is  a  Gentleman  of  my  Aquaint- 
ance,  a  high  Son  of  Liberty,  &  one  that 
can  give  you  a  particular  detail  of  our 
affairs,  much  better  than  I  can  write  them. 
You  will  introduce  him  to  your  Friends  as 
such,  pray  Give  my  best  regards  to  your 
lady,  Father  &  Sister,  our  Friends  Messrs 
Bradford,  Hughes,  Mott  &  my  good  Friend  Mr 
Drake  &  Family,  particularly  to  Cap1  Sears, 
for  his  kind  care  of  my  Horse  &  Sulky,  and 


A  NTE-RE  VOL  UTIONAR  T  SER  VICES. 


153 


all  others  of  our  acquaintance  whose  names 
I  have  forgot,  a  few  lines  from  you  when 
an  opportunity  presents,  will  be  very  agree- 
able, from  your 

"  Humble  Servant 

"  Paul  Revere 

"To   Mr  John  Lamb. 

"  [Endorsed]    Paul  Riviere    Boston,  4th  Sep1, 

1774. 
"  Important  "  1 

Revere's  satire  on  the  "  Port  Bill  99 
appeared  in  the  Royal  American  Magazine 
for  June,  1774. 

In  August  of  this  year  (1774)  his  name 
appears,  with  twenty-one  others,  in  a  list  of 
those  who  declined  to  serve  as  one  of  the 
grand  jurors,  at  the  Superior  Court  in  Suf- 
folk County.  Four  reasons  for  thus  refus- 
ing to  act  were  given.  The  first  was : 
"  Because  Peter  Oliver,  Esq.,  who  sits  as 
Chief  Judge  of  this  Court,  has  been  charged 
with    high    Crimes    and    misdemeanors  by 

1  Copied  from  the  original  manuscript  in  possession  of 
the  New  York  Historical  Society,  by  kindness  of  Jacob  B. 
Moore,  librarian. 


154      ANTE-REVOLUTIONARY  SERVICES. 


the  late  honble  House  of  Representatives, 
the  grand  Inquest  of  this  Province  ;  of  which 
charge  he  has  never  been  legally  acquitted, 
but  has  been  declared  by  that  House  unqual- 
ified to  act  as  Judge  of  this  Court."  The 
other  reasons  were  based  upon  the  passage 
of  the  acts  of  the  British  Parliament,  news 
of  which  arrived  the  previous  May. 1  One 
man  only,  Mr.  Pratt,  of  Chelsea,  hesitated  ; 
but  he,  when  the  chief  justice  told  him  it 
was  unimportant  whether  the  crown  or  the 
province  paid  the  salaries,  rejoined,  "  I  wont 
sarve."  This  was  the  last  grand  jury  under 
the  crown. 

The  "  Boston  Port  Bill  "  had  been  passed 
in  retaliation  for  the  destruction  of  the  tea, 
and  its  effect  was  undoubtedly  to  more 
closely  unite  the  colonies.  "  The  Port  Act," 
Bancroft  says,  "  had  been  received  on  the 
ioth  of  May;  and,  in  three  weeks,  the  conti- 
nent, as  one  great  commonwealth,  made 
the  cause  of  Boston  its  own."2    December  7, 

1  The  whole  document  is  printed  in  Proceedings  of  the 
Massachusetts  Historical  Society,  for  1875-6,  pp.  109,  no. 

2  History  of  the  United  States,  vol  7,  p.  55. 


A  NTE-RE  VOL  UTIONA  R  T  SER  VICE  S. 


155 


1774,  at  an  adjourned  "  Port  Bill  Meeting," 
Revere  was  one  of  a  committee  of  seven 
"  to  prepare  &  bring  in  a  List  of  proper 
Persons,  to  serve  as  a  Comittee,  for  carry- 
ing the  Resolutions  of  the  late  Continental 
Congress  into  Execution,"  and  Revere  was 
put  upon  that  committee. 


HISTORIC  FOOTPRINTS. 


CHAPTER  V. 

HISTORIC  FOOTPRINTS. 

The  Suffolk  Resolves — Express  to  Philadelphia  — 
The  Famous  Mansion  —  Again  sent  to  New  York  and 
Philadelphia  —  Important  Ride  to  Portsmouth  —  Tak- 
ing of  Fort  William  and  Mary  —  The  Hidden  Gunpow- 
der—  Used  at  Bunker  Hill  —  Attempted  Seizure  of 
Cannon  at  Salem  —  Report  to  John  Lamb. 

FOUR  months  after  the  "Port  Bill"  event, 
September  n,  Revere's  services  as 
messenger  were  again  called  into  requisition, 
when  Warren  chose  him  to  take  the  "  Suffolk 
Resolves,"  together  with  a  letter  written  by 
him,  to  the  Massachusetts  delegates  in  the 
Continental  Congress  at  Philadelphia.  These 
famous  "  Resolves,"  undoubtedly  written  by 
Warren,  were  the  result  of  two  additional 
penal  acts  by  the  English  Parliament  in 
May,  1774:  —  one  altering  the  charter,  en- 
titled, "  An  Act  for  the  better  regulation  of 


i6o 


HISTORIC  FOOTPRINTS. 


the  government  of  the  Province  of  Massa- 
chusetts Bay  in  New  England  ;  "  the  other, 
altering  the  manner  of  administering  justice, 
entitled,  "An  Act  for  the  more  impartial 
administration  of  justice  in  cases  of  persons 
who  shall  be  questioned  for  any  act  done  by 
them  in  the  execution  of  the  law,  or  for  the 
suppression  of  riots  and  tumults  in  the 
Province  of  Massachusetts  Bay."  Froth- 
ingham  says  of  these  two  acts  :  "  They  were 
designed  to  carry  into  effect  the  principle, 
that  Parliament  had  the  right  to  legislate 
for  the  colonies  in  all  cases  whatsoever."  1 

These  Resolves  were  adopted  by  the 
Suffolk  County  Convention,  September  9,  1774. 
On  the  nth  of  September,  Revere  started 
with  them  for  Philadelphia,  which  he.  reached 
on  the  1 7th,  being  six  days  on  his  way. 2 
On  the  same  day  they  were  read  in  Con- 
gress, where  they  were  listened  to  with  rapt 

1  Life  of  Joseph  Warren,  p.  327. 
2  Of  these  rides  Col.  T.  C.  Amorv  says  :  "  If  not  an  angel  of 
peace,  no  braver,  more  trustworthy,  or  more  intelligent  knight 
could  have  been  selected  for  a  mission,  which,  as  the  lines  of 
travel  were  beset  by  tories,  had  its  dangers,  and  required  pru- 
dence."—  Student  and  Schoolmate,  1869,  p.  274. 


HISTORIC  FOOTPRINTS. 


161 


attention,  and  they  elicited  great  applause. 
John  Adams  said  of  them :  "  The  esteem, 
the  affection,  the  admiration  for  the  people 
of  Boston  and  Massachusetts  which  were 
expressed,  and  the  fixed  determination  that 
they  should  be  supported,  were  enough  to 
melt  a  heart  of  stone.  I  saw  tears  saish 
into  the  eyes  of  the  old,  grave,  pacific 
Quakers  of    Pennsylvania." 1 

Samuel  Adams,  writing  from  Philadelphia, 
September  19,  and  enclosing  the  resolutions 
by  which  Congress  recommended  a  continu- 
ance of  the  charitable  contributions  from  the 
other  Colonies  in  aid  of  Boston,  says  that 
these  resolves  gave  but  a  faint  idea  of  the 
spirit  of  the  members:  "I  think  I  may  as- 
sure you,  that  America  will  make  a  point  of 
supporting  Boston  to  the  utmost."  2 

Congress  immediately  passed  a  resolve 
denouncing  England's  acts,  and  indors- 
ing the  "Suffolk  Resolves;"  and  this 
great  and  important  news,  impatiently 
waited    for    by    the    Boston   patriots,  was 

1  His  letter  of  September  18,  1774. 
2  Life  of  Samuel  Adams,  by  William  V.  Wells,  vol.  2,  p.  228. 


l62 


HISTORIC  FOOTPRINTS. 


brought  by  Revere  on  his  return,  to- 
gether with  personal  letters  to  Warren 
and  others.  The  action  of  Congress  was 
printed  in  the  newspapers,  the  26th  of 
September.  The  Tories  pronounced  these 
resolves  "  nothing  short  of  a  declaration 
of  independency." 1  They  certainly  formed 
a  very  important  step  in  the  impending 
Revolutionary  struggle.2 

The  delegates  from  every  town  and 
district  in  the  county  of  Suffolk3  first 
met   in   the  house  of   Mr.   Richard  Wood- 

1  "Whatever  these  patriots  in  Congress  wished  to 
have  done  by  their  colleagues  without,  to  induce  Gen- 
eral Gage,  then  at  the  head  of  his  majesty's  army  at 
Boston,  to  give  them  a  pretext  for  violent  opposition,  or 
to  promote  their  measures  in  Congress,  Mr.  Adams  ad- 
vised and  directed  to  be  done ;  and  when  it  was  done, 
it  was  dispatched  by  express  to  Congress.  By  one  of 
these  expresses  came  the  inflammatory  resolves  of  the 
county  of  Suffolk,  which  contained  a  complete  declaration 
of  war  against  Great  Britain."  Historical  and  Political 
Re/lections  on  the  Rise  and  Progress  of  the  American 
Revolution,   by  Joseph   Galloway,   p.    67.    London,  1780. 

2  These  Resolves  are  printed  in  full  in  the  Life  and 
Times  of  Joseph  Warren,  by  Richard  Frothingham,  p.  529. 
They  are  nineteen  in  number,  with  a  preamble,  and 
have   the    true   patriotic  ring. 

3  The    Essex    Gazette,    September   20,  1774. 


HIS TORIC  FOO T PRINTS. 


I65 


ward,  in  Dedham,  on  the  6th  of  Sep- 
tember ;  and  by  adjournment  September 
9,  at  the  house  of  Mr.  Daniel  Vose 
in  Milton,  on  the  Quincy  road,  a  few 
rods  from  the  Boston  and  Milton  line. 
This  house  is  still  standing,  and  in  its 
front  has  been  inserted  a  marble  tablet, 
fourteen  by  twenty-eight  inches,  which  bears 
the   following    inscription : 

V 

"IN    THIS    MANSION, 1 

On  the  9th  day  of  September,  1774* 
at  a  meeting  of  the  delegates  of  every 
town  and  district  in  the  county  of  Suf- 
folk, the  memorable  Suffolk  Resolves 
were  adopted.  They  were  reported  by 
Major-General  Warren,  who  fell  in  their 
defence  in  the  battle  of  Bunker  Hill,  June 
*7>  1775.  They  were  approved  by  the 
members  of  the  Continental  Congress  at 
Carpenter's  Hall,  Philadelphia  on  the  17th 
September,    1774.    The    Resolves  to  which 

1  The  view  of  this  house  given  on  page  167  is  taken 
from  Rev.  A.  K.  Teele's  History  of  Milton.  He  calls  it 
the  "  Birthplace  of  American  Liberty." 


HIS  TORIC    FO  O  T PRINTS. 


the  immortal  patriot  here  first  gave  utter- 
ance, and  the  heroic  deeds  of  that  eventful 
clay  on  which  he  fell,  led  the  way  to 
American  Independence.  '  Posterity  will  ac- 
knowledge that  virtue  which  preserved 
them    free   and    happy.' " 

Revere  was  again  employed  in  the 
October  following,  while  the  Provincial 
Congress,  of  which  John  Hancock  was 
President,  was  in  session,  and  anxious 
to  hear  from  the  Continental  Congress : 
"  Ten  days  later,  nothing  had  transpired 
from  this  body ;  but  it  was  reported 
that  Revere,  who  went  as  an  express 
from  Boston  to  the  delegates,  was  wait- 
ing in  Philadelphia  for  the  result  of  the 
determinations    of    Congress." 1 

On  this  occasion,  as  on  many  others, 
important  letters  and  documents  were 
carried  to,  and  brought  from,  New  York 
and    Philadelphia,    by  Revere. 

Joseph  Warren  writing  from  Boston  to 
Samuel   Adams,  September  12,  1774,  says: 


1  Frothingham's  Life  of  Joseph   Warren,  p.  388. 


HISTORIC  FOOTPRINTS. 


I69 


"  Gentlemen,  —  I  wrote  you  yesterday  by  Mr. 
Revere,  and  requested  your  advice  concerning 
our  public  affairs ;  but  I  wrote  in  so  much 
haste  that  I  believe  I  was  not  explicit  enough." 
And  again,  September  29  :  "  People  were  so 
rapacious  for  the  intelligence  brought  from 
the  congress  by  Mr.  Revere,  that  I  thought 
myself  bound  to  publish  an  extract  from 
your  letter ;  and,  although  it  was  done  without 
your  permission,  I  know  you  will  forgive  it. 
Please  let  Mr.  Cushing  know,  that  I  should 
not  have  published  his  letter  but  at  the 
earnest  request  of  a  number  of  our  most 
valuable  friends."  John  Adams,  writing  to 
William  Tudor,  in  Boston,  October  7,  1774, 
says:  "I  have  just  time  to  thank  you  for 
your  letter  by  Mr.  Revere,  and  all  of  your 
favors.  P.  S.  October  9.  Mr.  Revere 
will  give  you  all  the  news."  John  Andrews, 
of  Boston,  writing  to  William  Barrell,  of  Phila- 
delphia, October  19th,  says  :  "  By  the  return 
of  Revere,  am  a  little  easier  in  regard  to  mat- 
ters, as  I  hope  the  resolves  of  the  Continen- 
tal Congress,  brought  by  him,  will  have  some 


I  JO 


HISTORIC  FOOTPRINTS. 


influence  upon  the  councils  of  the  provincial 
one,  and  check  their  impetuous  zeal."  1 

In  the  December  following,  and  nearly 
four  months  before  "  Warren's  message  of 
warning  "  when 

"The  fate  of  a  nation  was  riding  that  night," 

Revere  took  another  ride ;  longer  than  that, 
and  of  very  great  importance.  As  the  mes- 
senger from  the  Boston  "  Committee  of 
Safety "  to  the  Portsmouth  "  Committee  of 
Safety,"  on  the  13th  of  December,  1774,  he 
carried  the  news  that  England  had  prohibited 
further  importation  of  gunpowder  and  military 
stores,  and  that  a  large  garrison  for  "  Fort 
William  and  Mary "  was  on  its  way  thither. 
Acting  upon  this  information,  the  Portsmouth 
"  Sons  of  Liberty,"  led  by  Sullivan,  Pickering 
and  Langdon,  and  aided  by  others  from  New- 
castle and  Rye,  some  four  hundred  in  num- 
ber, proceeded  to  the  fort,  by  water,  and 
summoned  Capt.  John  Cochran  and  his  five 
soldiers,  then  in  command,  to  surrender, 
which   they   did.     "  After  they  entered  the 

1  Proceedings  of  the  Massachusetts  Historical  Society  for 
1864-5. 


HISTORIC  FOOTPRINTS. 


171 


Fort,  they  seized  upon  the  Captain,  triumph- 
antly gave  three  Huzzas,  and  hauled  down  the 
King's  colours.  They  then  put  the  captain 
and  men  under  confinement,  broke  open  the 
Gunpowder  magazine,  and  carried  off  about 
one  hundred  Barrels  of  Gunpowder,  but  dis- 
charged the  Captain  and  men  from  their 
confinement  before  their  departure."1 

Concerning  this  important  event,  Col. 
Thomas  C.  Amory,  in  his  Military  Services 
of  General  Sullivan,  says  that  with  Picker- 
ing and  Langdon,  he  planned  the  attack  on 
"  Fort  William  and  Mary,"  "one  of  the  earliest 
acts  of  hostility  against  the  mother  country ; 
and,  by  the  aid  of  a  portion  of  a  force  he  had 
been  for  some  months  engaged  in  drilling  in 
their  military  exercises  in  preparation  for  the 
anticipated  conflict,  carried  ninety-seven  kegs 
of  powder  and  a  quantity  of  small-arms  in 
gondolas  to  Durham,  where  they  were  con- 
cealed, in  part,  under  the  pulpit  of  its  meet- 
ing-house."   This  powder,  thus  secured  and 

1  Letter  of  Gov.  John  Wentworth  to  the  Earl  of  Dartmouth, 
dated,  Portsmouth,  December  20,  1774,  in  the  New  England 
Historical  and  Genealogical  Register,  vol.  xxiii,  p.  276. 


172 


HIS  TORIC  FO  O  TPRIN  TS. 


carried  to  Durham,  a  few  miles  distant,  was 
an  opportune  and  important  acquisition ;  and 
was  destined  to  play  a  conspicuous  part  in 
our  history;  for  most  of  it  was  taken  from 
its  hiding-place  in  the  Durham  meeting-house 
and  drawn  to  Charlestown,  sixty  miles  away,  in 
"  old  John  Demeritt's  ox-cart,1'  where  it  was 
served  to  the  soldiers  just  in  season  to  be 
used  at  the  battle  of  Bunker  Hill,  as  the 
scarcity  of  that  article  began  to  be  so  sorely 
felt.  "  Failing  it,  Prescott  might  on  that 
day  have  shared  the  martyrdom  of  Warren, 
and  Molly  Stark  might  indeed  have  been  a 
widow  that  night/' 1 

Of  this  act,  Mr.  Ballard  Smith  says  :  "  It 
is  a  curious  fact  that  the  most  important  as 
well  as  the  most  dramatic  incident  immedi- 
ately preceding  the  American  Revolution  — 
an  incident,  indeed,  which  directly  precip- 
itated hostilities  —  has  but  slighting  mention 
in  any  of  the  histories.    .    .    It  was  unques- 

1  "  The  last  ounce  of  it  [this  powder]  was  fired  in  1800, 
from  the  shot  gun  formerly  belonging  to  Sir  William  Pep- 
perell,  and  found  as  fatal  to  the  Madbury  grey  squirrels  as 
it  had  been  to  King  George's  red-coats."  —  New  Castle,  Historic 
and  Picturesque,  by  John  Albee. 


HIS  TORIC  FO  O  TPRIN  TS. 


I  73 


tionably  the  first  act  of  overt  treason.  Singu- 
larly enough,  however,  Bancroft  makes  but  a 
casual  reference  to  it,  and  in  none  of  the 
histories  is  it  given  more  than  a  paragraph. 
Yet  its  immediate  consequences  were  not  less 
momentous  than  those  of  Lexington.  It  was, 
in  fact,  the  occasion  of  the  conflict  at  Lex- 
ington, and  it  is  more  than  probable  that 
it  saved  Bunker  Hill  from  proving  a  disas- 
trous defeat,  if  not,  indeed,  a  calamity  fatal 
to  further  effort  to  freedom." 1 

On  the  26th  of  February,  1775,  Gover- 
nor Gage  sent  Lieut.  Colonel  Leslie,  with 
one  hundred  and  forty  men,  in  a  vessel  from 
Castle  William,  to  seize  some  pieces  of  brass 
artillery  at  Salem.  The  frustrated  attempt 
was  thus  communicated  to  the  "  Sons  of 
Liberty  "  in  New  York  : 

"Boston,  1st  Mch.,  1775. 

Sir,  Agreeable  to  what  Mr.  Revere 
wrote  you  by  the  last  Mondays  Post,  we 
the  Subscribers  have  this  day  met  and  have 
determined  to  send  you  weekly  the  Earliest 

1  "The  Gunpowder  for  Bunker  Hill,"  in  Harper's  New 
Monthly  Magazine  for  July,  1886. 


174 


HISTORIC  FOOTPRINTS. 


and  most  authentic  intelligence  of  what  may. 
be  transacted  in  this  Metropolis  and  Prov- 
ince, relating  to  the  public  affairs  and  gen- 
eral Concerns  of  America ;  that  you  may 
have  it  in  your  power  to  contradict  the  many 
infamous  lies  which  are  propagated  by  the 
Enemies  of  our  Country.  And  we  beg  it  as 
a  particular  favor  that  you  would  appoint  or 
agree  with  a  number  of  Gentlemen  for  the 
above  purpose  in  your  City  that  we  may 
have  early  information  from  you  of  whatever 
transpires  in  your  City  and  province  of  a 
public  nature.  At  this  Critical  period  we  con- 
ceive it  to  be  very  important  to  our  Common 
Cause  to  have  weekly  or  frequent  Communi- 
cations. 

We  are  Sir 
Your  most  Obedient  &  most  humble  Servants, 

Joshua  Brackett. 
Paul  Revere. 

Benj.  Edes. 
Joseph  Ward. 
Tho.  Crafts,  Junr. 
Thomas  Chase. 
P.  S.    Enclosed  you  have  an  account  of 


HIS  TORIC   FO  O  TPR I  NTS. 


175 


the  late  Expedition,  which  terminated  to  the 
honour  of  Americans.  In  addition  to  the 
Secrecy  with  which  the  maneuvre  to  Salem 
was  Conducted,  we  inform  you  that  these 
persons  were  occasionally  at  the  Castle  on 
Saturday  afternoon  and  were  detained  theie 
till  10  o'clock  on  Monday  lest  we  should 
send  an  Express  to  our  brethren  at  Marble- 
head  and  Salem.  Be  pleased  to  direct  your 
letters  to  Mr.  Joshua  Brackett,  Boston,  Inn- 
holder."  1 

This  self-constituted  committee  did  excel- 
lent service  as  vigilant  correspondents  in 
acquainting  the  New  York  "  Sons  of  Liberty  " 
of  the  important  movements  in  and  around 
Boston. 

1  From  the  "Lamb  Papers,"  in  possession  of  the  New  York 
Historical  Society. 


THE  RIDE  TO  LEXINGTON. 


CHAPTER  VI. 

THE  RIDE  TO  LEXINGTON. 

His  Descriptive  Letter  to  Dr.  Belknap,  1798  —  Earlier 
Accounts  found  among  Family  Papers — The  Sunday  Ride 
of  April  16  —  Its  Importance —  Hancock  and  Adams 
Warned  — Dr.  Warren's  Service  in  Boston  —  The  Signal 
Lanterns  —  Continued  Service  as  Courier — Letter  from 
John  Lamb.   

ON  the  night  of  the  18th  of  April, 
1775,  occurred  the  most  famous  of 
all  Revere's  rides  ;  one  that  has  been  immor- 
talized by  both  historian  and  poet;  "that 
memorable  ride,  not  only  the  most  brilliant, 
but  the  most  important  single  exploit  in 
our  nation's  annals."  1 

Its  history,  together  with  many  other 
interesting  details,  is  given  by  Revere  hhri- 

1  William  Dawes  and  His  Ride  with  Paul  Revere,  by  Henry  W. 
Holland,  p.  vi,  preface. 


i8o 


THE  RIDE   TO  LEXINGTON. 


self  in  a  letter  to  Rev.  Dr.  Jeremy  Bel- 
knap, written  several  years  after  the  events 
took  place.  In  the  "  Proceedings  of  the 
Massachusetts  Historical  Society,"  for  Novem- 
ber, 1878,  this  letter  is  reprinted  from  the 
original  manuscript,  recently  found  in  the 
archives  of  that  Society,  with  notes  by  Dr. 
Charles  Deane,  Corresponding  Secretary.1 
This  emended  letter  is  as  follows  :  — 

Dear  Sir,  —  Having  a  little  leisure,  I 
wish  to  fulfil  my  promise  of  giving  you 
some  facts  and  anecdotes  prior  to  the  battle 
of  Lexington,  which  I  do  not  remember  to 
have  seen  in  an)'  History  of  the  American 
Revolution. 

In  the  year  1773,  I  was  employed  by  the 
Selectmen  of  the  town  of  Boston  to  carry 
the  account  of  the  Destruction  of  the  Tea  to 
New  York;  and  afterwards,  1774,  to  carry 
their  despatches  to  New  York  and  Philadel- 
phia for  calling  a  Congress ;  and  afterwards 
to  Congress  several  times. 

In  the  fall  of  1774,  and  winter  of  1775,  I 

1  It  was  first  printed  with  changes  and  omissions,  in  the  So- 
ciety's Collections,  vol.  v,  pp.  106-112. 


THE  RIDE  TO  LEXINGTON. 


183 


was  one  of  upwards  of  thirty,  chiefly  mechan- 
ics, who  formed  ourselves  into  a  committee 
for  the  purpose  of  watching  the  movements 
of  the  British  soldiers,  and  gaining  every 
intelligence  of  the  movements  of  the  Tories. 
We  held  our  meetings  at  the  Green  Dragon 
Tavern.1  We  were  so  careful  that  our  meet- 
ings should  be  kept  secret,  that  every  time 
we  met,  every  person  swore  upon  the  Bible 
that  they  would  not  discover  any  of  our 
transactions  but  to  Messrs.  Hancock,  Adams, 
Doctors  Warren,  Church,  and  one  or  two 
more.  About  November,  when  things  began 
to  grow  serious,  a  gentleman  who  had  con- 
nections with  the  Tory  party,  but  was  a 
Whig  at  heart,  acquainted  me,  that  our 
meetings  were  discovered,  and  mentioned  the 
identical  words  that  were  spoken  among  us 

1  This  celebrated  hostelry  was  in  Union  Street,  formerly  "  Green 
Dragon  Lane,"  and  was  "always  a  favorite  resort  for  the  mechanics 
of  the  North  End,"  says  Drake.  Here  many  conferences  of  Revo- 
lutionary patriots  took  place.  Daniel  Webster  styled  the  Green 
Dragon  inn  the  "headquarters  of  the  Revolution."  It  was  also 
called  the  "  Freemason's  Arms."  Here  met  the  St.  Andrew's 
Lodge,  of  which  Revere  was  a  member;  also  the  Grand  Lodge  of 
which  Warren  was  the  first  Grand  Master,  a  position  afterwards 
held  by  Revere. 


THE  RIDE  TO  LEXINGTON. 


the  night  before.  We  did  not  then  distrust 
Dr.  Church,  but  supposed  it  must  be  some 
one  among  us.  We  removed  to  another 
place,  which  we  thought  was  more  secure ; 
but  here  we  found  that  all  our  transactions 
were  communicated  to  Governor  Gage. 
(This  came  to  me  through  the  then  Secre- 
tary Flucker ;  he  told  it  to  the  gentlemen 
mentioned  above.)  It  was  then  a  common 
opinion,  that  there  was  a  traitor  in  the  Pro- 
vincial Congress,  and  that  Gage  was  pos- 
sessed of  all  their  secrets.  (Church  was  a 
member  of  that  Congress  for  Boston.)  In 
the  winter,  towards  the  spring,  we  frequently 
took  turns,  two  and  two,  to  watch  the  sol- 
diers, by  patrolling  the  streets  all  night. 
The  Saturday  night  preceding  the  19th  of 
April,  about  twelve  o'clock  at  night,,  the 
boats  belonging  to  the  transports  were  all 
launched,  and  carried  under  the  sterns  of  the 
men  -  of  -  war.  (They  had  been  previously 
hauled  up  and  repaired.)  We  likewise  found 
that  the  grenadiers  and  light  infantry  wrere 
all  taken  off  duty. 

From    these     movements,    we  expected 


THE  RIDE  TO  LEXINGTON. 


I87 


something  serious  was  to  be  transacted.  On 
Tuesday  evening,  the  18th,  it  was  observed 
that  a  number  of  soldiers  were  marching 
towards  the  bottom  of  the  Common.  About 
ten  o'clock,  Dr.  Warren  sent  in  great  haste 
for  me,1  and  bewed  tHat  I  would  imme- 
diately  set  off  for  Lexington,  where  Messrs. 
Hancock  and  Adams  were,  and  acquaint 
them  of  the  movement,  and  that  it  was 
thought  they  were  the  objects.  When  I  got 
to  Dr.  Warren's  house,2  I  found  he  had  sent 
an  express  by  land  to  Lexington,  —  a  Mr. 
William  Dawes.  The  Sunday  before,  by 
desire  of  Dr.  Warren,  I  had  been  to  Lexine- 
ton,  to  Messrs.  Hancock  and  Adams,  who 
were  at  the  Rev.  Mr.  Clark's.  I  returned  at 
night  through  Charlestown ;  there  I  agreed 
with  a  Colonel  Conant  and  some  other  gen- 
tlemen,  that  if  the  British  went  out  by  water, 
we  would  show  two  lanthorns  in  the  North 

1  "  Between  Warren  and  Revere  there  grew  up  a  sympathy  so 
especial  and  intimate  that  when  Adams  and  Hancock  left  it,  and 
Warren  alone  remained  to  observe  and  direct  events  in  the  town, 
Revere  became  his  chosen  lieutenant."  —  New  England  Legends 
and  Folk  Lore,  by  Samuel  Adams  Drake. 

2  On  Hanover  Street,  where  now  stands  the  American  House. 


i88 


THE  RIDE   TO  LEXINGTON. 


Church  steeple ;  and  if  by  land,  one  as  a 
signal ;  1  for  we  were  apprehensive  it  would 
be  difficult  to  cross  the  Charles  River,  or  get 
over  Boston  Neck.  I  left  Dr.  Warren, 
called  upon  a  friend,  and  desired  him  to 
make  the  signals.  I  then  went  home,  took 
my  boots  and  surtout,  went  to  the  north 
part  of  the  town,  where  I  kept  a  boat;2  two 
friends 3  rowed    me  across  Charles    River  a 

1  "  He  said  to  his  friend,  '  If  the  British  march 

By  land  or  sea  from  the  town  to-night, 

Hang  a  lantern  aloft  in  the  belfry  arch 

Of  the  North  Church  tower  as  a  signal  light, — 

One,  if  by  land,  and  two,  if  by  sea.'  "  —  Longfellow. 

2  "  The  boats  of  the  ferry  were  drawn  up  alongside  the  man- 
of-war  every  night  at  nine  o'clock,  and  then  there  was  no  passing 
after  that  hour." — Curiosities  of  History,  by  William  W.  Wheil- 
don,  p.  36. 

3  These  were  Thomas  Richardson  and  Joshua  Bentley. 
"  Thomas  Richardson,  with  two  others,  laid  the  platform  for  the 
American  guns  at  Bunker  Hill ;  one  of  the  three  was  killed  by 
a  cannon  ball  from  the  British.  John  Richardson,  his  brother, 
was  with  Paul  Revere  in  notifying  the  inhabitants  of  Charlestown 
of  the  intention  of  the  British  to  march  to  Concord.  Tombstones 
are  in  Copp's  Hill."  (Letter  of  John  Revere,  Paul's  grandson, 
dated  October  n,  1876.)  Bentley's  descendants  are  now  living  in 
Lexington.  In  the  "  Old  South  Loan  Collection  "  of  November, 
1876,  there  was  exhibited  a  "  Pocket-Book  of  Joshua  Bentley,  the 
Ferryman  who  carried  Paul  Revere  across  to  Charlestown  on  the 


THE  RIDE  TG  LEXINGTON. 


189 


little   to  the   eastward  where    the  Somerset 

night  of  April  iS,  1775."  It  now  belongs  to  Joshua  Bentley 
Fowle,  of  Lexington,  a  descendant. 


Joshua  Bentley  was  the  father  of  the  Rev.  Dr.  William  Bent- 
lev,  of  Salem.  Charles  Wooley,  of  Waltham,  a  grandson  of 
Joshua,  relates  the  following  incident  told  him  by  his  grandfather, 
in  a  letter  dated  May,  1S86:  "My  grandfather  said  that  on  the 
evening  of  the  battle  of  Bunker  Hill  he  went  on  to  Copp's  Hill,  and 
saw  a  hole  about  ten  feet  square  and  five  feet  deep,  and  into  it 
the  bodies  of  soldiers  brought  from  the  battle-field  were  thrown. 
He  ventured  as  near  as  he  could  with  safety,  as  he  feared  he 
might  be  taken  for  a  spy;  and  was  sure  he  heard  groans  from 
the  bodies  as  they  were  thrown  into  the  pit.  Grandfather  Bentley 
lived  directly  opposite  Constitution  Wharf.  He  was  a  boat- 
builder  by  trade,  and  for  many  years  afterwards  was  a  surveyor 
of  lumber.  He  remained  in  Boston  during  the  siege,  in  charge 
of  the  North  Mills  and  other  property  of  great-grandfather,  — 
William  Paine.  I  enclose  one  of  his  survey  bills  with  his  auto- 
graph." 

A  tradition  exists  in  the  Revere  family,  says  Drake  in  His- 
tory of  Middlesex  County,  "that  while  Paul  and  his  two  com- 
rades were  on  their  way  to  the  boat,  it  was  suddenly  remembered 
that  they  had  nothing  with  which  to  muffle  the  sound  of  their 
oars.  One  of  the  two  stopped  before  a  certain  house  at  the  North 
End  of  the  town,  and  made  a  peculiar  signal.  An  upper  window 
was  softly  raised,  and  a  hurried  colloquy  took  place  in  whispers, 
at  the  end  of  which  something  white  fell  noiselessly  to  the 
ground.  It  proved  to  be  a  woollen  undergarment,  still  warm  from 
contact  with  the  person  of  the  little  rebel."  Concerning  this 
incident  Mr.  Revere  savs  in  the  same  letter  as    cjuoted  above: 


190 


THE  RIDE  TO  LEXINGTON. 


man-of-war  lay.1  It  was  then  young  flood,  the 
ship  was  winding,  and  the  moon  was  rising.2 

"  The  story  is  authentic  of  the  oars  being  muffled  with  a  petticoat, 
the  fair  owner  of  which  was  an  ancestor  of  the  late  John  R. 
Adan,  of  Boston  ;  Mr.  Adan  having  repeated  the  account  to  my 
father  within  a  few  years  of  his  decease."  This  house,  the  scene 
of  this  incident,  known  as  the  "  Ochterlony-Adan  House,"  is  still 
standing  at  the  corner  of  North  and  North  Centre  Streets.  It  was 
not  very  much  out  of  the  way  to  Revere's  boat,  which  he  had 
concealed  beneath  "a  cob-wharf  at  the  then  west  part  of  the  town, 
near  the  present  Craigie  Bridge."  * 

There  are  these  traditions  in  the  Lincoln  family  of  Hingham  : 
Jedediah  Lincoln  married  one  of  the  daughters  of  Paul  Revere, — 
Mary;  and  the  grandson,  William  O.  Lincoln,  has  often  heard  his 
grandmother  tell  this:  When  Revere  and  his  two  friends  got  to 
the  boat,  he  found  he  had  forgotten  to  take  his  spurs.  Writing 
a  note  to  that  effect,  he  tied  it  to  his  dog's  collar  and  sent  him 
to  his  home  in  North  Square.  In  due  time  the  dog  returned 
bringing  the  spurs.  Another  is :  During  the  siege,  the  family, 
wishing  to  leave  the  city,  bought  a  pass  of  a  chimney-sweep,  and 
putting  the  children,  together  with  the  grandmother,  into  a  cart, 
passed  safely  out.  Still  another  :  Some  time  before  the  destruction 
of  the  tea,  Revere's  wife  said:  "Children,  this  is  the  last  cup  of 
tea  you  will  get  for  a  long  while." 

1  "  He  was  one  of  the  most  influential  citizens  of  the  town, 
and  entirely  in  the  confidence  of  the  leading  patriots.  He  kept 
himself  in  readiness  to  go  as  an  express  at  any  moment.  He  had 
a  small  canoe  concealed  in  a  dock  at  the  north  part  of  the  town, 
and  a  riding  dress  always  in  order  to  be  put  on  at  a  moment's 
warning."  —  Life  of  James  Otis,  by  William  Tudor,  p.  458. 

2  "  And  five  minutes  before  the  sentinels  received  the  order  to 
prevent  it,  two  friends  rowed  him  past  the  Somerset  man-of-war 
across  Charles  River.  All  was  still  as  suited  the  hour."  —  History 
of  the  United  States,  by  George  Bancroft,  vol.  vii.  p.  289. 

*  John  Revere's  letter. 


REVERE  CROSSING  CHARLES  RIVER. 


THE  RIDE  TO  LEXINGTON. 


193 


They  landed  me  on  die  Charlestown  side.1 
When  I  got  into  town,  I  met  Colonel  Conant 
and  several  others  ;  they  said  they  had  seen 
our  signals.  I  told  them  what  was  acting, 
and  went  to  get  me  a  horse  ;  I  got  a  horse 
of  Deacon  Larkin.  While  the  horse  was  pre- 
paring, Richard  Devens,  Esq.,  who  was  one 
of  the  Committee  of  Safety,  came  to  me,  and 
told  me  that  he  came  down  the  road  from 
Lexington,  after  sundown,  that  evening ;  that 
he  met  ten  British  officers,  all  well  mounted 
and  armed,  going  up  the  road. 

I  set  off  upon  a  very  good  horse  ;  it  was 
then  about  eleven  o'clock,  and  very  pleasant. 
After  I  had  passed  Charlestown  Neck,  and 
got  nearly  opposite  where  Mark  was  hung  in 
chains,2  I  saw  two  men  on  horseback,  under  a 
tree.  When  I  got  near  them,  I  discovered 
they  were  British  officers.  One  tried  to  get 
ahead  of  me,  and  the  other  to  take  me.  I 
turned  my  horse  very  quick,  and  galloped 
towards  Charlestown  Neck,  and  then  pushed 

1  Near  the  old  "  Battery."    Gage's  Wharf,  No.  85  Water  Street, 
marks  the  site  at  the  present  day,  —  near  the  Hoosac  Elevator. 
3  On  Washington  Street,  near  the  Charlestown  line. 


194 


THE  RIDE  TO  LEXINGTON. 


for  the  Medford  road.  The  one  who  chased 
me,  endeavoring  to  cut  me  off,  got  into  a 


Revere  Escaping  from  the  British  Officers. 


clay  pond,  near  where  the  new  tavern 1  is 
now  built.    I   got   clear  of   him,  and  went 


1  "Originally  written,  'Mr.  Russell's  Tavern 


C.  D." 


THE  RIDE  TO  LEXINGTON. 


195 


through  Medford,  over  the  bridge,  and  up  to 
Menotomy.    In  Medford,  I  awaked  the  Cap- 


Equestrian  Statue  of  Paul  Revere,  by  Cyrus  E.  Dallin.1 

1  A  few  years  ago  a  committee  of  citizens,  representatives  of 
the  Massachusetts  Charitable  Mechanic  Association,  the  militia, 
and  Masonic  bodies,  was  appointed  to  raise  money  for  a  statue  of 
Revere.  A  model  of  an  equestrian  statue,  by  the  young  sculptor, 
Dallin,  was  accepted,  but  as  yet  nothing  definite  has  been  deter- 
mined. It  is  to  be  hoped  that  something  will  be  consummated, 
and  that  Boston  will  honor  herself  by  having  a  statue  of  Revere 
in  one  of  her  principal  squares. 

At  a  meeting  of  the  Massachusetts  Historical  Society,  in  August, 
1873,  Colonel  Thomas  C.  Amory,  while  speaking  of  the  statues 
of  John  Winthrop  and  Samuel  Adams  then  in  preparation  for  the 
National  Gallery  at  Washington,  hoped  the  day  would  come  when 
in  the  malls  and  squares  of  Boston  there  would  be  statues  of 
"John  Adams  and  James  Otis,  Hancock  and  Paul  Revere;  for 
Pepperell  and  Wolfe;  for  Dudley,  Endicott,  and  Bradstreet;  for 
William  Blackstone;  for  Samoset,  Hobomak,  and  Massasoit,  and 


196 


THE  RIDE  TO  LEXINGTON. 


tain  of  the  minute  men ;  and  after  that,  I 
alarmed  almost  every  house,  till  I  got  to 
Lexington.1 

I  found  Messrs.  Hancock  and  Adams  at 
the  Rev.  Mr.  Clark's  ; 2  I  told  them  my  errand, 

many  more  not  yet  sufficiently  honored."  Winthrop  and  Samuel 
Adams  now  grace  Boston's  thoroughfares;  and  soon  Revere  will 
take  his  place  among  the  city's  attractions.  It  is  hoped  that  ere 
long  others  of  the  worthies  mentioned  will  be  added. 

1<4A  hurry  of  hoofs  in  a  village  street, 

A  shape  in  the  moonlight,  a  bulk  in  the  dark, 
And  beneath,  from  the  pebbles,  in  passing,  a  spark 
Struck  out  by  a  steed  flying  fearless  and  fleet,  — 
That  was  all ;  and  yet,  through  the  gloom  and  the  light, 
The  fate  of  a  nation  was  riding  that  night." 

—  Longfellow. 

Three  years  before  Paul  Revere  wrote  his  letter  to  Dr.  Bel- 
knap, and  sixty-eight  years  before  Longfellow's  muse  entertained 
the  world  with  his  "  Paul  Revere's  Ride,"  some  one,  signing  him- 
self "Eb.  Stiles,"  wrote  a  poem  dated  March  15,  1795,  entitled 
"  Story  of  the  Battle  of  Concord  and  Lexington,  and  Revere's 
Ride,  twenty  years  ago,"  in  which  he  says : 

"  He  spared  neither  horse,  nor  whip,  nor  spur, 
As  he  galloped  through  mud  and  mire; 
He  thought  of  naught  but  liberty, 
And  the  lanterns  that  hung  from  the  spire." 

2  He  found  the  house  guarded  by  eight  men  under  Sergeant 
Munroe,  who,  upon  Revere's  arrival,  cautioned  him  not  to  make 
a  noise.  "Noise,"  said  Revere,  "you'll  have  noise  enough  here 
before  long  —  the  regulars  are  coming  out."  Elias  Phinney,  in  his 
"  History  of  the  Battle  of  Lexington  on  the  morning  of  the  19th 
April,    1775,"   has   this  phraseology  a    little   different:  "Noise! 


THE  RIDE  TO  LEXINGTON. 


I99 


and  enquired  for  Mr.  Dawes ;  they  said  he 
had  not  been  there ;  I  related  the  story  of 
the  two  officers,  and  supposed  that  he  must 
have  been  stopped,  as  he  ought  to  have  been 
there  before  me.  After  I  had  been  there 
about  half  an  hour,  Mr.  Dawes  came  ;  we  re- 
freshed ourselves,  and  set  of!  for  Concord,  to 
secure  the  stores,  &c,  there.1  We  were  over- 
taken by  a  young  Dr.    Prescott,  whom  we 

you'll  soon  have  a  noise,  that  will  disturb  you  all.  The  British 
troops  are  on  their  march,  and  will  soon  be  among  you."  Han- 
cock, hearing  this  conversation,  and  recognizing  Revere's  voice, 
cried  out,  "Come  in,  Revere!  WVre  not  afraid  of  you,"  and  he 
went  in. 

Dorothy  Quincy,  to  whom  Hancock  was  engaged,  and  whom  she 
married  in  the  September  of  this  year,  1775,  was  in  the  Clark  house 
at  this  time  with  Adams  and  Hancock,  and  with  them  she  afterwards 
went  on  the  perilous  retreat  to  Burlington.  Dr.  Oliver  Wendell 
Holmes  has  added  to  the  fame  of  his  ancestress  in  his  poem 
"  Dorothy  Q.,"  some  of  the  lines  of  which  are  : 

"  Dorothy  Q.  was  a  lady  born. 
Ay!  since  the  galloping  Normans  came, 
England's  annals  have  known  her  name ; 
And  still  to  the  three-hilled  rebel  town 
Dear  is  that  ancient  name's  renown, 
For  many  a  civic  wreath  they  won, 
The  youthful  sire  and  gray-haired  son." 

1  " '  To  secure  the  stores,  &c,  there,'  interlined  in  Dr.  Bel- 
knap's hand.    C.  D." 


200 


THE  RIDE   TO  LEXINGTON. 


found  to  be  a  high  Son  of  Liberty.1  I  told 
them  of  the  ten  officers  that  Mr.  Devens  met, 


The  Clarke  House,  Lexington. 


Tablet  on  Clarke  House. 
Built  1698  Enlarged  1734 

Residence  of 
Rev.  John  Hancock  55  Years 

and  of  his  successor 
Rev.  Jonas  Clarke  50  Years 
Here  Samuel  Adams  and  John  Hancock  were 
sleeping  when  aroused  by  paul  revere 
April  19  1775 

and  that  it  was  probable  we  might  be  stopped 
before  we  got  to  Concord  ;  for  I  supposed 

1  Prescott  had  been  on  a  visit  to  the  lady  to  whom  he  was 
engaged,  a  Miss  Mulliken,  and  was  returning  to  Concord  when  he 
overtook  Revere  and  Dawes. 


THE  RIDE  TO  LEXINGTON. 
 i  


201 


that  after  night,  they  divided  themselves,  and 
that  two  of  them  had  fixed  themselves  in  such 


The  Front  Stairway,  Clarke  House. 

passages  as  were  most  likely  to  stop  any 
intelligence  going  to  Concord.  1  likewise 
mentioned  that  we  had  better  alarm  all  the 


202 


THE  RIDE  TO  LEXINGTON. 


inhabitants  till  we  got  to  Concord  ;  the  young 
Doctor  much  approved  of  it,  and  said  he 
would  stop  with  either  of  us,  for  the  people 
between  that  and  Concord  knew  him,  and 
would  give  the  more  credit  to  what  we  said. 
We  had  got  nearly  half  way ;  Mr.  Dawes  and 
the  Doctor  stopped  to  alarm  the  people  of  a 
house  ;  1  I  was  about  one  hundred  rods  ahead, 
when  I  saw  two  men,  in  nearly  the  same 
situation  as  those  officers  were,  near  Charles- 
town.  I  called  for  the  Doctor  and  Mr.  Dawes 
to  come  up  ; 2  in  an  instant  I  was  surrounded 
by  four ;  —  they  had  placed  themselves  in  a 
straight  road,  that  inclined  each  way ;  they 
had  taken  down  a  pair  of  bars  on  the  north 
side  of  the  road,  and  two  of  them  were  under 

1  A  picture  of  "  the  horrors  of  that  midnight  cry  "  has  been 
given  in  the  narrative  of  Mrs.  Hannah  Winthrop,  of  Cambridge. 
She  says  that  "  the  women  of  that  town  were  roused  by  the  beat 
of  drums  and  ringing  of  bells;  they  hastily  gathered  their  children 
together,  and  fled  to  the  outlying  farm-houses ;  seventy  or  eighty 
of  them  were  at  Fresh  Pond,  in  hearing  of  the  guns  at  Menotomy, 
now  Arlington;  the  next  day  their  husbands  bade  them  flee  to 
Andover,  whither  the  college  property  had  been  sent,  and  thither 
they  went,  alternately  walking  and  riding,  over  fields  where  the 
bodies  of  the  slain  lay  unburied."  (Thomas  Wentworth  Higginson, 
in  "The  Dawning  of  Independence,"  Harper's  Mag.,  October,  1883.) 

2  "  'There  were  two,  and  we  would  have  them,'  erased.    C.  D." 


THE  RIDE   TO  LEXINGTON. 


203 


a  tree  in  the  pasture.  The  Doctor  being  fore- 
most, he  came  up  ;  and  we  tried  to  get  past 
them  ;  but  they  being  armed  with  pistols  and 
swords,  they  forced  us  into  the  pasture  ;  the 
Doctor  jumped  his  horse  over  a  low  stone 
wall,  and  got  to  Concord.  I  observed  a  wood 
at  a  small  distance,  and  made  for  that.  When 
I  got  there,  out  started  six  officers,  on  horse- 
back, and  ordered  me  to  dismount  ;  —  one  of 
them,  who  appeared  to  have  the  command, 
examined  me,  where  I  came  from,  and  what 
my  name  was?  I  told  him.1  He  asked  me 
if  I  was  an  express  ?  I  answered  in  the 
affirmative.  He  demanded  what  time  I  left 
Boston  ?  I  told  him ;  and  added,  that  their 
troops  had  catched  aground  in  passing  the 
river,  and  that  there  would  be  five  hundred 
Americans  there  in  a  short  time,  for  I  had 
alarmed  the  country  all  the  way  up.2  He 
immediately  rode  towards  those  who  stopped 

1  "  '  I  told  him  it  was  Revere.  He  asked  me  if  it  was  Paul  ?  I 
told  him  yes,'  the  last  part  erased.    C.  D." 

2  Phinney,  in  his  history  of  the  battle,  gives  the  conversation  at 
this  time  as  follows :  "  Gentlemen,  you  have  missed  your  aim," 
said  Revere.  "  I  left  Boston  after  your  troops  had  landed  at 
Lechmere  Point,  and  if  I  had  not  been  certain  that  the  people,  to 


204 


THE  RIDE   TO  LEXINGTON. 


us,  when  all  five  of  them  came  down  upon  a 
full  gallop  ;  one  of  them,  whom  I  afterwards 
found  to  be  a  Major  Mitchel,  of  the  5th  Regi- 
ment, clapped  his  pistol  to  my  head,  called 
me  by  name,  and  told  me  he  was  going  to 
ask  me  some  questions,  and  if  I  did  not  give 
him  true  answers  he  would  blow  my  brains 
out.  He  then  asked  me  similar  questions  to 
those  above.  He  then  ordered  me  to  mount 
my  horse,  after  searching  me  for  arms.  He 
then  ordered  them  to  advance  and  to  lead 
me  in  front.  When  we  got  to  the  road,  they 
turned  down  towards  Lexineton.  When  we 
had  got  about  one  mile,  the  Major  rode  up  to 
the  officer  that  was  leading  me  and  told  him 
to  give  me  to  the  Sergeant.  As  soon  as  he 
took  me,  the  Major  ordered  him,  if  I  attempted 
to  run,  or  anybody  insulted  them,  to  blow  my 
brains  out.  We  rode  till  we  got  near  Lexing- 
ton meeting-house,  when  the  militia  fired  a 
volley  of  guns,  which  appeared  to  alarm  them 

the  distance  of  fifty  miles  into  the  country,  had  been  notified  of 
your  movements,  I  would  have  risked  one  shot,  before  you  should 
have  taken  me."  The  deposition  of  a  Lexington  soldier,  Elijah 
Sanderson,  taken  in  1824,  gives  this  conversation  in  very  nearly 
the  same  words. 


THE  RIDE  TO  LEXINGTON. 


205 


very  much.  The  Major  inquired  of  me  how 
far  it  was  to  Cambridge,  and  if  there  were 
any  other  road.  After  some  consultation,  the 
Major  rode  up  to  the  Sergeant,  and  asked 
if  his  horse  was  tired.  He  answered  him 
he  was  —  he  was  a  Sergeant  of  Grenadiers, 
and  had  a  small  horse  —  then,  said  he,  take 
that  man's  horse.  I  dismounted,  and  the 
sergeant  mounted  my  horse,1  when  they  all 
rode  towards  Lexington  meeting-house.2  I 
went  across  the  burying-ground,  and  some 
pastures,  and  came  to  the  Rev.  Mr.  Clark's 
house,  where  I  found  Messrs.  Hancock  and 
Adams.    I  told  them  of  my  treatment,  and 

1  There  is  a  tradition  in  the  family  of  Captain  Larkin  Turner,  of 
Charlestovvn,  that  "  Deacon  John  Larkin's  best  horse  was  rode  to 
its  death  by  Paul  Revere."  This  tradition  exists  also  in  the  families 
of  the  Drurys  of  Grafton,  and  the  Harringtons  of  Lexington.  (MS. 
letter  of  Dr.  T.  Larkin  Turner,  of  Boston,  Oct.  7,  1887.)  Certain 
it  is,  the  horse  was  alive  when  taken  from  Revere  by  the  British 
officer;  but  he  may  have  been  so  exhausted  by  the  hard  riding  of 
Revere,  as  to  have  died  while  in  possession  of  his  new  owner, 
knowledge  of  which  has  been  handed  down  in  this  traditionary 
manner. 

2  Another  account  differs  somewhat:  "Just  then  a  church  bell 
was  heard;  then  another,  when  one  of  the  Lexington  prisoners 
said,  "The  bells  are  ringing  —  the  town  is  alarmed — you  are  dead 
men.'  The  frightened  officers  left  their  prisoners  and  fled  toward 
Boston."    {Our  Country,  p.  777,  by  Benson  J.  Lossing.) 


206 


THE  RIDE  TO  LEXINGTON. 


they  concluded  to  go  from  that  house  towards 
Woburn.1  I  went  with  them,  and  a  Mr. 
Lowell,  who  was  a  clerk  to  Mr.  Hancock. 
When  we  got  to  the  house  where  they 
intended  to  stop,  Mr.  Lowell  and  myself 
returned  to  Mr.  Clark's  to  find  what  was 
going  on.  When  we  got  there,  an  elderly 
man  came  in  ;  he  said  he  had  just  come  from 
the  tavern,  that  a  man  had  come  from  Boston, 
who  said  there  were  no  British  troops  coming. 
Mr.  Lowell  and  myself  went  towards  the 
tavern,  when  we  met  a  man  on  a  full  gallop, 
who  told  us  the  troops  were  coming  up  the 
rocks.  We  afterwards  met  another,  who  said 
they  were  close  by.    Mr.  Lowell  asked  me  to 

1  Hancock  and  Adams,  whose  safety  was  regarded  as  of  the 
utmost  importance,  were  persuaded  to  retire  to  the  then  2d  pre- 
cinct of  Woburn,  to  the  house  occupied  by  Madam  Jones,  widow 
of  Rev.  Thomas  Jones,  and  Rev.  Mr.  Marett,  which  is  now  stand- 
ing in  Burlington,  and  occupied  by  Rev.  Samuel  Sewall.  Dorothy 
Quincy  accompanied  her  intended  husband — Hancock.  Here,  at 
noon,  they  had  just  sat  down  to  an  elegant  dinner  when  a  man 
broke  suddenly  in  upon  them  with  a  shriek,  and  they  believed 
the  regulars  were  upon  them.  Mr.  Marett  then  piloted  Adams 
and  Hancock  along  a  cartway  to  Mr.  Amos  Wyman's  house,  in 
a  corner  of  Billerica,  where  they  were  glad  to  dine  off  of  cold  salt 
pork  and  potatoes,  served  in  a  wooden  tray.  (Letter  of  Rev.  Samuel 
Sewall,  in  Frothingham's  Siege  of  Boston,  p.  60.) 


THE  RIDE  TO  LEXINGTON. 


207 


go  to  the  tavern  with  him,  to  get  a  trunk  of 
papers  belonging  to  Mr.  Hancock.  We  went 
up  chamber,  and  while  we  were  getting  the 
trunk,  we  saw  the  British  very  near,  upon  a 
full  march.  We  hurried  towards  Mr.  Clark's 
house.  In  our  way,  we  passed  through  the 
militia.  There  were  about  fifty.  When  we 
had  got  about  one  hundred  yards  from  the 
meeting-house,  the  British  troops  appeared 
on  both  sides  of  the  meeting-house.  In  their 
front  was  an  officer  on  horseback.  They 
made  a  short  halt  ;  when  I  saw  and  heard  a 
gun  fired,  which  appeared  to  be  a  pistol. 
Then  I  could  distinguish  two  guns,  and  then 
a  continual  roar  of  musketry ;  when  we  made 
off  with  the  trunk. 

As  I  have  mentioned  Dr.  Church,  perhaps 
it  might  not  be  disagreeable  to  mention  some 
matters  of  my  own  knowledge  respecting  him. 
He  appeared  to  be  a  high  Son  of  Liberty. 
He  frequented  all  the  places  where  they  met, 
was  encouraged  by  all  the  leaders  of  the 
Sons  of  Liberty,  and  it  appeared  he  was 
respected  by  them,  though  I  knew  that  Dr. 
Warren  had   not   the   greatest   affection  for 


208 


THE  RIDE   TO  LEXINGTON. 


him.  He  was  esteemed  a  very  capable  writer, 
especially  in  verse,  and  as  the  Whig  party 
needed  every  strength,  they  feared  as  well  as 
courted  him.  Though  it  was  known  that 
some  of  the  liberty  songs  which  he  composed 
were  parodized  by  him  in  favor  of  the  British, 
yet  none  dare  charge  him  with  it.  I  was  a 
constant  and  critical  observer  of  him,  and  I 
must  say  that  I  never  thought  him  a  man  of 
principle ;  and  I  doubted  much  in  my  own 
mind  whether  he  was  a  real  Whig.  I  knew 
that  he  kept  company  with  a  Captain  Price, 
a  half-pay  British  officer,  and  that  he  fre- 
quently dined  with  him  and  Robinson,  one  of 
the  Commissioners.  I  knew  that  one  of  his 
intimate  acquaintances  asked  him  why  he  was 
so  often  with  Robinson  and  Price.  His 
answer  was,  that  he  kept  company  with  them 
on  purpose  to  find  out  their  plans.  The  day 
after  the  battle  of  Lexington,  I  met  him  in 
Cambridge,  when  he  shew  me  some  blood 
on  his  stocking,  which  he  said  spirted  on 
him  from  a  man  who  was  killed  near  him, 
as  he  was  urging  the  militia  on.  I  well  re- 
member, that  I  argued  with  myself,  if  a  man 


THE  RIDE  TO  LEXINGTON. 


will  risk  his  life  in  a  cause,  he  must  be  a 
friend  to  that  cause  ;  and  I  never  suspected 
him  after,  till  he  was  charged  with  being  a 
traitor. 

The  same  day  I  met  Dr.  Warren.  He  was 
President  of  the  Committee  of  Safety.  He 
engaged  me  as  a  messenger,  to  do  the  out- 
doors business  for  that  committee  :  which 
gave  me  an  opportunity  of  being  frequently 
with  them.1  The  Friday  evening  after,  about 
sunset,  I  was  sitting  with  some,  or  near  all 

1  In  the  Revolutionary  Archives  at  the  State  House,  vol.  164,  p.  3, 
is  the  following  autograph  bill,  rendered  for  a  portion  of  the  services 
according  to  this  agreement  with  Warren,  with  the  Council's  com- 
ments on  the  bottom  of  it : 

1775.  The  Colony  of  Massachusetts  Bay 

to  Paul  Revere,  Dr. 

To  riding  for  the  Committee  of  Safety 
from  April  21  1775  to  May  7th  17 
Days  at  5/.  4       5  „  o 

To  my  expences  ror  Self  &  horse  during 

that  time  2  ..  16  ..  o 

May  6th     To  keeping  two  Colony  Horses  10  Days 

at  1/  pr  horse  1  ..  00  ..  o 

Augt  2d     To   Printing   rooo  impressions  soldiers 

notes  at  6/  pr  Hundd  3  ..  00  ..  o 


£\\  ..  1 

Errors  Excepted 

Paul  Revere. 

N.  B.    ye  Govnment  does  not 

charge  ye  charges  of  Impressions  for  ye  Money 
emitting  for  other  uses  than  ye  army 
reduced  his  Labour  to  4/  per  Day. 


2IO 


THE  RIDE  TO  LEXINGTON. 


that  committee,  in  their  room,  which  was  at 
Mr.  Hastings'  house  in  Cambridge. 1  Dr. 
Church,  all  at  once,  started  up  —  Dr.  War- 
ren, said  he,  I  am  determined  to  go  into 
Boston  to-morrow  (it  set  them  all  a-staring). 
Dr.  Warren  replied,  Are  you  serious,  Dr. 
Church  ?  they  will  hang  you  if  they  catch  you 
in  Boston.  He  replied,  I  am  serious,  and  am 
determined  to  go  at  all  adventures.  After  a 
considerable  conversation,  Dr.  Warren  said,  If 
you  are  determined,  let  us  make  some  busi- 
ness for  you.  They  agreed  that  he  should 
go  to  get  medicine  for  their  and  our  wounded 
officers.  He  went  next  morning ;  and  I  think 
he  came  back  on  Sunday  evening.  After  he 
had  told  the  committee  how  things  were,  I 
took  him  aside  and  inquired  particularly  how 
they  treated  him.  He  said,  that  as  soon  as 
he  got  to  their  lines,  on  Boston  Neck,  they 
made  him  a  prisoner,  and  carried  him  to 
General  Gage,  where  he  was  examined,  and 
then  he  was  sent  to  Gould's  barracks,  and 
was  not  suffered  to  go  home  but  once.  After 

1  Afterwards  called  the  "  Holmes  House."  General  Ward  held 
his  headquarters  in  it  at  one  time  during  the  siege  of  Boston.  It 
is  now  destroyed. 


THE  RIDE  TO  LEXINGTON. 


211 


he  was  taken  up,  for  holding  a  correspondence 
with  the  British,  I  came  across  Deacon  Caleb 
Davis  ;  —  we  entered  into  conversation  about 
him  ;  —  he  told  me,  that  the  morning  Church 
went  into  Boston,  he  (Davis)  received  a  billet 
for  General  Gage  —  (he  then  did  not  know 
that  Church  was  in  town)  —  when  he  got  to 
the  General's  house,  he  was  told,  the  General 
could  not  be  spoke  with,  that  he  was  in 
private  with  a  gentleman  ;  that  he  waited 
near  half  an  hour,  when  General  Gage  and 
Dr.  Church  came  out  of  a  room,  discoursing" 
together,  like  persons  who  had  been  long  ac- 
quainted. He  appeared  to  be  quite  surprised 
at  seeing  Deacon  Davis  there  ;  that  he  (Church) 
went  where  he  pleased,  while  in  Boston,  only  a 
Major  Caine,  one  of  Gage's  aids,  went  with  him. 
I  was  told  by  another  person,  whom  I  could 
depend  upon,  that  he  saw  Church  go  into  Gen- 
eral Gage's  house,  at  the  above  time  ;  that  he  got 
out  of  the  chaise  and  went  up  the  steps  more 
like  a  man  that  was  acquainted  than  a  prisoner. 

Some  time  after,  perhaps  a  year  or  two,  I 
fell  in  company  with  a  gentleman 1  who  studied 

1  "'Dr.  Savage,  now  of  Barnstable,'  erased,  and  'gentleman' 
inserted.    C.  I)." 


212 


THE  RIDE  TO  LEXINGTON. 


with  Church ;  in  discoursing  about  him,  I 
related  what  I  have  mentioned  above  ;  he 
said,  he  did  not  doubt  that  he  was  in  the 
interest  of  the  British  ;  and  that  it  was  he 
who  informed  General  Gage ;  that  he  knew 
for  certain,  that  a  short  time  before  the  battle 
of  Lexington  (for  he  then  lived  with  him, 
and  took  care  of  his  business  and  books),  he 
had  no  money  by  him,  and  was  much  drove 
for  money ;  that  all  at  once,  he  had  several 
hundred  new  British  guineas  ;  and  that  he 
thought  at  the  time,  where  they  came  from. 

Thus,  Sir,  I  have  endeavored  to  give  you 
a  short  detail  of  some  matters,  of  which  per- 
haps no  person  but  myself  has  documents  or 
knowledge.  I  have  mentioned  some  names 
which  you  are  acquainted  with ;  I  wish  you 
would  ask  them,  if  they  can  remember  the 
circumstances  I  allude  to. 

I  am,  Sir,  with  every  sentiment  of  esteem, 
your  humble  servant, 

Paul  Revere.1 

Boston,  Jan.  i,  1798. 

1  "  Paul  Revere  signed  his  name  to  the  letter,  and  there  it 
now  stands;  but  afterward,  in  a  different  ink,  he  wrote  over  the 
signature,  '  A  Son  of  Liberty  of  the  year  1775,'  with  the  caution, 


THE  RIDE  TO  LEXINGTON. 


213 


A  shorter  account  of  this  ride,  evidently 
written  in  the  year  1783,  duly  signed,  was 
found  among  his  family  papers.  It  is  the 
same  story,  but  in  some  respects  more  fully 
told,  differing  somewhat  in  the  phraseology. 
Accompanying  this  was  the  original  rough 
draft,  unsigned,  which  differs  from  the  fol- 
lowing  in  some  minor  particulars.  These  dif- 
ferences are  indicated  by  the  brackets  : 

Paul  Revere  of  Boston,  in  the  Colony  of 
Massachusetts  Bay  in  New  England  ;  of  Law- 
full  Age,  doth  testify  and  say,  that  I  was  [in 
Boston  on  the  evening  of  the  18th  of  April 
1775]  sent  for  by  Docr  Joseph  Warren,  of 
said  Boston,  on  the  evening  of  the   18th  of 

'  Do  not  print  my  name.'  Dr.  Belknap,  however,  erased  all  this 
and  wrote,  'Col.  Revere's  Letter,' — the  running  title  in  the  Col- 
lections, —  and  '  A  Letter  from  Col.  Paul  Revere  to  the  Corre- 
sponding Secretary,'  which  is  the  heading  of  the  letter  as  there 
printed.  The  original  letter  has  no  date,  but  the  date  it  bears  in 
the  Collections  may  indicate  the  time  at  which  it  was  communi- 
cated for  printing.  The  letter  may  have  been  written  some  years 
before  it  was  printed;  and  when  Dr.  Belknap  proposed  including 
it  in  the  Collections,  the  corrections  referred  to  may  have  been 
made.  The  ink  in  the  body  of  the  letter  is  much  faded,  while  that 
in  which  the  additions,  erasures,  and  interlineations  are  made,  is 
quite  different.    C.  D." 


THE  RIDE   TO  LEXINGTON.  221 

April,  about  10  °Clock';  when  he  desired  me 
"  to  go  to  Lexington,  and  inform  Mr  Samuel 
Adams,  and  the  Honle  John  Hancock  Esqr  that 
there  was  a  number  of  Soldiers,  composed  of 
Light  troops,  &  Grenadiers,  marching  to  the 
bottom  of  the  Common,  where  was  a  number 
of  Boats  to  receive  them ;  it  was  supposed, 
that  they  were  going  to  Lexington,  by  the 
way  of  Cambridge  [Watertown]  River,  to  take 
them  [Messrs  Adams  &  Hancock]  or  go  to 
Concord,  to  distroy  the  Colony  Stores."  I 
proceeded  immeditely,  and  was  put  across 
Charles  River,  [in  a  Boat]  and  landed  near 
Charlestown  Battery,  went  in  [to  the]  town, 
and  there  got  a  Horse,  while  in  Charlestown, 

I  was  informed  by  Richd  Devens  Esqr  that  he 
mett  that  evening,  after  Sun  sett,  Nine  Offi- 
cers of  the  Ministeral  [Gage's]  Army,  [well] 
mounted  on  good  Horses,  &  Armed,  going 
towards  Concord  ;  I  set  off,  it  was  then  about 

I I  °Clock,  the  Moon  shone  bright.  I  had  got 
almost  over  Charlestown  Common,  towards 
Cambridge,  when  I  saw  two  Officers  on  Horse- 
back, standing  under  the  shade  of  a  Tree,  in 
a  narrow  part  of  the  roade.    I  [got]  was  near 


222 


THE  RIDE   TO  LEXINGTON. 


enough  to  see  their  Holsters,  &  cockades, 
[when]  One  of  them  Started  his  horse 
towards  me,  [and]  the  other  up  the  road,  as 
I  supposed,  to  head  me  should  I  escape  the 
first.  I  turned  my  horse  short  about,  and  rid 
upon  a  full  Gallop  for  Mistick  Road,  he  fol- 
lowed [following]  me  about  300  yardes,  and 
finding  he  could  not  catch  me,  returned 
[stopped].  I  proceeded  to  Lexington,  thro 
Mistick,  and  alarmed  [awaked]  Mr  Adams 
&  Col.  Hancock.  [Messr  Adams  &  Hancock 
and  delivered  my  message.]  After  I  had 
been  there  about  half  an  hour  Mr  Daws 
arrived,  who  came  from  Boston,  over  the 
neck ;  we  set  off  [together]  for  Concord,  & 
were  overtaken  by  a  young  Gent11  named  Pres- 
cot,  who  belonged  to  Concord,  &  was  going 
home  ;  when  we  had  got  about  half  way  from 
Lexington  to  Concord,  the  other  two,  stopped 
at  a  House  to  awake  the  man,  I  kept  along. 
When  I  had  got  about  200  Yards  ahead  of 
them,  I  saw  two  officers  [under  a  tree]  as 
before.  I  [immeditely]  called  to  my  com- 
pany to  come  up,  saying  here  was  two  of 
them,  (for  I  had  told  them  what  Mr  Devens 


THE  RIDE  TO  LEXINGTON. 


223 


told  me,  and  of  my  being  stoped)  in  an 
instant,  I  saw  four  [officers]  of  them,  who 
rode  up  to  me,  with  their  pistols  in  their 
hands,  [&]  said  G — d  d — n  you  stop,  if  you 
go  an  Inch  further,  you  are  a  dead  Man. 
immeditly  Prescot  came  up  [he  turned 
the  butt  end  of  his  whipp]  we  attempted  to 
git  thro  them,  but  they  kept  before  us,  and 
swore  if  we  did  not  turn  in  to  that  pasture, 
they  would  blow  our  brains  out,  (they  had 
placed  themselves  opposite  to  a  pair  of  Barrs, 
and  had  taken  the  Barrs  down)  they  forced 
us  in,  when  we  had  got  in,  Mr  Prescot  said 
[to  me]  put  on.  He  [turned]  took  to  the 
left,  I  [turned]  to  the  right  [I  found  since 
that  he  knew  the  ground  for  he  lived  within 
3  or  4  miles  he  jumped  his  horse  over  the 
wall  and  got  to  Concord],  towards  a  Wood, 
at  [in]  the  bottom  of  the  Pasture,  intending, 
when  I  gained  [reached]  that,  to  jump  my 
Horse  &  run  afoot ;  just  as  I  reached  it, 
out  started  six  officers,  siesed  my  bridle,  put 
their  pistols  to  my  Breast,  ordered  me  to  dis- 
mount, which  I  did.  [six  others  on  horseback 
wrode  up  to  me  with  their  Pistols  in  their 


224 


THE  RIDE   TO  LEXINGTON. 


hands,  and  put  them  to  my  Breast,  siesed  my 
bridle  and  ordered  me  to  dismount.]  One 
of  them,  who  appeared  to  have  the  command 
there,  and  much  of  a  Gentleman,  asked  me 
where  I  came  from  ;  I  told  him,  he  asked 
what  time  I  left  it  ;  I  told  him,  he  seemed 
surprised,  [he]  said  Sr,  may  I  crave  your 
name.  I  answered  my  name  is  [was]  Revere, 
what  said  he,  [he  said  what]  Paul  Revere  ;  I 
answered  [said]  yes  ;  the  others  abused  me 
much ;  but  he  told  me  not  to  be  afraid,  no 
one  [they]  should  [not]  hurt  me.  I  told  him 
they  would  miss  their  Aim.  He  said  they 
should  not,  they  were  only  waiting  [after]  for 
some  Deserters  they  expected  down  [that 
were  on]  the  Road.  I  told  him  I  knew  bet- 
ter, I  knew  what  they  were  after  ;  .that  I  had 
alarmed  the  country  all  the  way  up,  that  their 
Boats  were  [had]  catch'd  aground,  and  I 
should  have  500  men  there  soon  ;  one  of 
them  said  they  had  1 500  coming ;  he  seemed 
surprised  and  rode  [immeditly]  off  into  [up 
to]  the  road,  [to  them  that  stopped  me.]  and 
informed  them  who  took  me,  they  came  down 
immeditly    on    a   full   gallop,    one   of  them 


THE  RIDE  TO  LEXINGTON. 


225 


(whom  I  [have]  since  learned,  was  Major 
Mitchel  of  the  5th  Reg1)  clapd  his  Pistol  to 
my  head,  and  said  he  was  [a]  going  to  ask 
me  some  questions,  [&]  if  I  did  not  tell  the 
truth,  he  would  blow  my  brains  out.  I  told 
him  [replied  that]  I  esteemed  [call'd]  myself 
a  man  of  truth,  that  he  had  stopped  me  on 
the  highway,  &  made  me  a  prisoner,  I  knew 
not  by  what  right ;  I  would  tell  him  the  truth ; 
I  was  not  afraid.  He  then  asked  me  the 
same  questions  that  the  other  did,  and  many 
more,  but  was  more  particular;  I  gave  him 
much  the  same  answers ;  [after  he  &  two 
more  had  spoke  together  in  a  low  voice]  he 
then  ordered  me  to  mount  my  horse,  they 
first  searched  me  for  pistols  [Arms].  When 
I  was  [had]  mounted,  the  Major  [rode  up 
to  me  &]  took  the  reins  out  of  my  hand,  and 
said,  by  G — d  Sr;  you  are  not  to  ride  with 
reins  I  assure  you  ;  and  gave  them  to  an 
officer  on  my  right  to  lead  me.  [I  asked 
him  to  let  me  have  the  reins  &  I  would  not 
run  from  him,  he  said  he  would  not  trust 
me]  he  then  Ordered  4  men  out  of  the 
Bushes,   and    to  mount    their    horses  ;  they 


226 


THE  RIDE  TO  LEXINGTON. 


[whom  I  found]  were  country  men  which 
they  had  stopped  who  were  going  home  ; 
then  ordered  us  to  march.  He  said  [came 
up]  to  me  [and  said]  "  We  are  now  going 
towards  your  friends,  and  if  you  attempt  to 
run,  or  we  are  insulted,  we  will  blow  your 
Brains  out."  [I  told  him  he  might  do  as  he 
pleased]  When  we  had  got  into  the  road 
they  formed  a  circle  and  ordered  the  pris- 
oners in  the  centre  &  to  lead  me  in  the 
front. 

We  rid  [down]  towards  Lexington,  a  quick 
[pretty  smart]  pace  ;  they  very  [I  was]  often 
insulted  [by  the  officers]  me  calling  me 
[damned]  Rebel,  &c  &c.  [the  officer  who  led 
me  said  I  was  in  a  d-m-d  critical  situation. 
I  told  him  I  was  sensible  of  it],  after  we 
had  got  about  a  mile,  I  was  given  [delivered] 
to  the  [a]  Sergant  to  lead,  he  [who]  was 
Ordered  to  take  out  his  pistol  [he  rode  with 
a  hanger)  and  if  [should]  I  run,  to  execute 
the  Major's  sentence  ;  When  we  got  within 
about  half  a  Mile  of  the  [Lexington]  Meeting 
house,  we  heard  a  gun  fired ;  the  Major  asked 
me  what  it  [that]  was  for,  I  told  him  to  alarm 


THE  RIDE  TO  LEXIXGTON. 


227 


the  country ;  he  [then]  Ordered  the  [other] 
four  prisoners  to  dismount,  they  did,  then 
one  of  the  officers  dismounted  and  cutt  the 
Bridles,  and  Saddels,  off  the  Horses,  &  drove 
them  away,  and  told  the  men  they  might  go 
about  their  business ;  I  asked  the  Major  to 
dismiss  me,  he  said  he  would  [not]  carry  me, 
lett  the  consequence  be  what  it  will ;  He  then 
Orderd  us  to  march  ;  when  we  got  within 
sight  of  the  Meeting  House,  we  heard  a 
Volley  of  guns  fired,  as  I  supposed  at  the 
tavern,  as  an  Alarm ;  the  Major  ordered  us 
to  [a]  halt,  he  asked  me  how  far  it  was  to 
Cambridge,  and  many  more  [I  told  him  after 
asking  me  a  number  of]  questions,  which  I 
answered  ;  he  then  asked  the  Sergant,  if  his 
horse  was  tired,  he  said  yes ;  he  Ordered  him 
to  take  my  horse  [which  he  did]  ;  I  dis- 
mounted, the  Sarjant  mounted  my  horse  ; 
they  cutt  the  Bridle  &  saddle  off  the  Sarjant's 
horse  &  [they  told  me  they  should  make 
use  of  my  horse  for  the  night  and]  rode  off 
[toward  Cambridge]  down  the  road.  I  then 
went  to  the  house  where  I  left  Mess  Adams  & 
Hancock,  and  told  them  what  had  happined  ; 


228 


THE  RIDE  TO  LEXINGTON. 


their  friends  advised  them  to  50  out  of  the 
way :  I  went  with  them,  about  two  miles  a 
cross  road  [&  there  stopt]  ;  after  resting  my- 
self, I  sett  off  with  another  man  to  Pfo  back 
to  the  Tavern,  to  enquire  the  News  [whether 
the  troops  had  come  or  were  coming]  ;  when 
we  got  there,  we  were  told  [a  man  who  had 
just  come  up  the  road  told  us]  the  troops 
were  within  two  miles.  We  went  into  the 
Tavern  to  git  a  Trunk  of  papers  belonging 
to  Col.  Hancock,  before  we  left  [got  out] 
the  House,  I  saw  the  Ministeral  Troops  from 
the  Chamber  window  [coming  up  the  Road]. 
We  made  haste  &  had  to  pass  thro'  our  Mili- 
tia, who  were  on  a  green  behind  the  Meeting 
house,  to  the  number  as  I  supposed,  about 
[of]  50  or  60.  [It  was  then  Daylight]  I 
went  [passed]  thro'  them  ;  as  I  passed  I  heard 
the  commanding  officer  speake  to  his  men  to 
this  purpose,  [say  words  to  this  effect.] 
"  Lett  the  troops  pass  by,  &  don't  molest 
them,  without  they  begin  first  "  I  had  to  go 
a  cross  Road,  but  [I]  had  not  got  half  Gun 
shot  off  [distance]  when  the  Ministeral  Troops 
appeared  in  sight  behinde  the  Meeting  House ; 


THE  RIDE  TO  LEXINGTON. 


229 


they  made  a  short  halt,  when  a  gun  was  fired. 
I  heard  the  report,  turned  my  head,  and  saw 
the  smoake  in  front  of  [them]  the  Troops, 
they  imeaditly  gave  a  great  shout,  ran  a  few 
paces,  and  then  the  whole  fired.  I  could  first 
distinguish  Iregular  fireing,  which  I  suppose 
was  the  advance  Guard,  and  then  platoons. 
At  the  time  I  could  not  see  our  Militia,  for 
they  were  covered  from  me,  by  a  house  at 
the  bottom  of  the  Street.  [Road]  and  further 
saith  not. 

Paul  Revere. 

Concerning  this  very  important  ride,  so 
many  details  of  which  are  given  in  Revere's 
own  accounts  of  the  same,  and  its  connec- 
tion with  these  stirrino-  times,  William  W. 
Wheildon,  in  his  "  History  of  Paul  Revere's 
Signal  Lanterns,"  thus  epitomizes  the  action 
of  Warren  and  Revere :  "  Dr.  Warren  had 
remained  in  Boston  to  observe  the  move- 
ments of  General  Gage,  and  was  the  only  one 
of  the  patriots  in  town  whom  the  mechanics 
could  consult,  or  to  whom  they  could  com- 
municate their  observations  and  proceedings. 
During  the    time,   more    than    three  weeks, 


230 


THE  RIDE  TO  LEXINGTON. 


that  the  Provincial  Congress  and  the  Com- 
mittee  of  Safety  were  in  session  at  Concord, 
Warren  was  absent  from  all  their  meetings, 
and  prompted  all  that  was  done  to  keep  the 
patriots  informed  of  the  movements  and  pur- 
poses of  General  Gage  in  Boston  ;  and  to 
him,  and  Paul  Revere  as  his  messenger, 
belong  the  honor  of  alarming  the  country  in 
season  to  save  most  of  the  cannon  and 
stores  at  Concord,  and  meet  the  enemy  in 
that  conflict  which  did  so  much  to  arouse 
and  unite  the  colonies  in  the  momentous 
conflict  which  followed.  Had  this  been  other- 
wise ;  had  not  Warren  remained  in  Boston 
to  observe  the  movements  of  the  British ; 
had  not  the  country  been  warned  and  the 
people  aroused,  and  had  General  Gage's  sol- 
diers been  allowed -to  do  his  bidding  without 
hinderance,  —  who  shall  say  what  the  conse- 
quences might  have  been,  temporarily,  per- 
haps, to  the  cause  of  the  country  ?  The 
signal  lanterns  were  projected  by  Revere  to 
carry  out  the  wishes  of  Dr.  Warren,  in  case 
any  obstacle  should  occur  to  prevent  him 
from  crossing  the  river,  and  at  the  same  time 


THE  RIDE  TO  LEXINGTON. 


231 


covered  any  contingency  that  might  occur  to 
William  Dawes,  who  had  preceded  him  on  the 
same  errand  over  Boston  Neck.  The  merit 
and  wisdom  of  the  lanterns,  manifested  in 
the  foresight  which  suggested  them,  belongs 
exclusively  to  Paul  Revere,  as  the  value  and 
importance  of  the  whole  proceeding  does  to 
the  constant  devotion  and  presence  of  mind 
of  Dr.  Warren."  1 

It  is  now  thought  that  the  ride  on  Sun- 
day, the  1 6th  of  April,  two  days  before  this 
one,  was  of  more  importance  than  has  gener- 
ally been  accorded  to  it.  Revere  simply  says 
of  it:  ''The  Sunday  before,  by  desire  of  Dr. 
Warren,  I  had  been  to  Lexington,  to  Messrs. 
Hancock  and  Adams,  who  were  at  the  Rev. 
Mr.  Clark's."  Mr.  Wheildon  has  recently 
given  a  new  and  interesting  chapter  in  the 
history  of  the  "  Concord  Fight,"  wherein  he 
emphasizes  the  importance  of  this  ride.  He 
tells  the  story  of  the  Groton  soldier,  "Nathan 
Corey,  who  was-  summoned  to  meet  the 
minute-men  on  the  afternoon   of   the  18th, 

1  Drake,  in  Old  Landmarks  of  Boston,  calls  Revere  the  fidas 
Achates  of  Warren. 


232 


THE  RIDE  TO  LEXINGTON. 


and  proceeded  to  Concord,  with  other  Groton 
men,  that  night,  reaching  it  several  hours 
before  the  British  troops  arrived ;  he  gives 
the  votes  passed  by  the  Provincial  Congress 
at  Concord  on  the  morning  of  the  17th, 
probably  before  the  arrival  of  Hancock,  and 
evidently  changed  after  his  arrival,  for  reasons 
communicated  by  him ;  and  from  these  facts 
Mr.  Wheildon  deduces  his  conclusions  con- 
cerning the  great  importance  of  the  message 
taken  to  Hancock  and  Adams  on  the  16th; 
and  when  we  realize  that  cannon  and  military 
stores  were  taken  from  Concord  to  Groton 
on  the  1 8th  ;  that  the  minute-men  of  Groton, 
Acton,  Lincoln,  Carlisle,  and  Bedford  took 
part  in  the  action  at  Concord  ;  and  that  the 
minute-men  from  over  thirty  of  the  surround- 
ing towns,1  some  of  them  many  miles  away, 
were  at  Lexington,  and  in  the  pursuit  of  the 
retreating  British  troops  ;  and  that  it  was  in 
pre-telegraphic  and  telephonic  days,  there 
seems  to  be  some  reason,  surely,  for  think- 

1  As  at  present  divided  and  incorporated,  fifty-eight  towns  were 
more  or  less  actively  interested  in  the  events  of  the  19th  of 
April,  1775. 


THE  RIDE  TO  LEXINGTON. 


233 


ing  and  believing  that  Warren's  information 
to  Hancock  and  Adams,  sent  by  Revere  on 
the  1 6th,  must  have  been  of  such  a  nature 
as  to  cause  them  to  disseminate  their  fears 
or  expectations  to  those  towns,  earlier  than 
could  have  been  done  by  the  messages  of 
t{ie  night  of  the  18th,  and  the  morning  of 
the  19th.  And  as  Mr.  Wheildon  says:  "  One 
result  of  this  story  is  particularly  worthy  of 
notice,  since  it  shows  very  clearly  what  has 
scarcely  ever  been  considered,  or,  in  fact, 
alluded  to,  and  that  is  the  importance  of  the 
service  rendered  by  Paul  Revere  in  his  jour- 
ney to  Lexington  on  Sunday,  prior  to  the 
much  more  celebrated  midnight  ride  which  fol- 
lowed  it.  The  story  of  this  ride,  quiet  and 
peaceful  as  it  was,  has  never  been  immortal- 
ized in  the  lines  of  the  poet ;  yet  it  shows 
very  clearly  that  the  preservation  of  the  can- 
non —  nearly  all  that  the  colony  possessed  at 
that  time  —  and  probably  the  largest  portion 
of  the  ammunition  and  stores  at  Concord 
were  saved,  as  we  have  seen,  by  the  cau- 
tionary measures  of  Dr.  Warren,  and  the 
essential    service    of   Paul    Revere    on  the 


234 


THE  RIDE  TO  LEXINGTON. 


Sunday  previous  to  the  fight  at  Concord 
bridge." 

That  this  is  the  true  version  of  this 
important  affair,  is  being  made  more  clear  as 
time  goes  on.  As  to  the  particular  manner 
in  which  the  knowledge  of  the  intended 
expedition  of  the  British  soldiers  to  Concord 
came  to  the  Americans,  it  is  believed  by 
many,  that  the  wife  of  General  Gage  was 
the  medium  of  communication.  The  council 
between  General  Gage  and  Earl  Percy  at 
the  Province  House,  where  the  expedition 
was  planned,  was  known  to  but  one  other 
person,  Gage  says,  who,  it  is  thought,  must 
have  been  his  wife.  Even  Lieutenant-Colonel 
Smith,  who  had  command  of  the  troops,  did 
not  know,  at  first,  of  the  destination.  Sted- 
man,  in  his  "  History  of  the  American  War," 
page  119,  says  that  Percy,  after  the  inter- 
view, was  passing  along  to  his  quarters, 
when,  meeting  some  of  the  towns-people, 
one  of  them  remarked,  "  The  British  troops 
have  marched,  but  will  miss  their  aim.'* 
''What  aim?"  asked  the  Earl.  "The  cannon 
at  Concord,"  was  the  answer.    Percy  immedi- 


THE  RIDE  TO  LEXINGTON. 


235 


ately  retraced  his  steps  to  the  Province 
House,  told  Gage  what  he  had  heard,  who 
felt  convinced  that  some  one  had  betrayed 
his  secret.  Gordon,  who  was  chaplain  of 
the  Provincial  Congress,  in  his  "  History 
of  the  Rise,  Progress,  and  Establishment  of 
the  Independence  of  the  United  States," 
says  :  "A  daughter  of  Liberty,  unequally 
yoked  in  point  of  politics,  sent  word  by  a 
trusty  hand  to  Mr.  Samuel  Adams,  residing, 
in  company  with  Mr.  Hancock,  about  thir- 
teen miles  from  Charlestown,  that  the  troops 
were  coming  out  in  a  few  days."  This 
"  daughter  of  Liberty "  was  undoubtedly  the 
wife  of  General  Gage,  who  was  the  daughter 
of  Peter  Kemble,  Esq.,  president  of  the 
Council  of  New  Jersey;  and  this  "trusty 
hand"  was  undoubtedly  Paul  Revere.  "It  is 
more  than  probable,  therefore,  that  the  infor- 
mation was  imparted  to  Warren,  and  carried 
by  Revere  to  Hancock  and  Adams."  1 

1  Samuel  Adams  Drake,  in  the  Sunday  Herald  for  July  6, 
1879,  wno  discusses  the  point  at  considerable  length,  being  abun- 
dantly sustained  in  his  conclusions  by  numerous  authorities. 
Besides  the  above,  Edward  Harrington  de  Fonblanque,  in  his 
"  Political  and  Military  Episodes,  derived  from  the  Life  and  Corre- 
spondence of  Rt.  Hon.  John  Burgoyne." 


236 


THE  RIDE  TO  LEXINGTON. 


As  Revere  says  in  his  narrative,  he  con- 
tinued to  act  as  a  courier  after  the  battle 
of  Lexington.  The  following  certificate  was 
issued  to  facilitate  one  of  these  many  jour- 
neys : 

"  This  Certifys  that  Mr  Paul  Revear  is 
going  express  from  the  Colony  of  Massa- 
chusetts Bay  to  the  American  Congress ;  all 
persons  upon  the  road  are  desired  to  assist 
him  with  Horses  or  any  other  things  he  may 
stand  in  need  off. 

James  Otis  [Senior]  Pres1  of  Council." 1 

Novr  I2th?  I775. 

1  That  Mr.  William  Dodd,  of  Boston,  was  one  of  his  suc- 
cessors, is  shown  by  documents  recently  found  among  his  family 
papers,  by  his  grand-nephew,  Horace  Dodd,  Esq.,  of  Boston. 
The  first  is  as  follows : 

Philadelphia,  Oct.  3d,  1776. 
I  began  to  ride  express  for  Mr.  Hancock.    Expenses  in  going 
to  Boston  and  returning  J<)-  os.  od. 

There  are  many  others  of  similar  import,  and  receipts  for  large 
sums  of  Continental  money  carried  to  different  places,  and  on 
different  occasions;  and  the  following  pass  in  the  autograph  of 
John  Hancock : 

To  all  Continental  Officers  and  others  whom  it  may  concern : 

Permit  William  Dodd  to  Pass  and  Repass  without  the  least 
interruption  or  hinderance,  he  being  employ'd  as  an  Express  in 


THE  RIDE  TO  LEXINGTON. 


237 


As  before,  so  on  this  occasion,  private 
letters  were  carried  to  and  brought  from 
New  York  and  Philadelphia.  John  Adams, 
writing  to  Joseph  Hawley,  in  a  letter  dated 
Philadelphia,  Nov.  25,  1775,  says:  "The  day 
before  yesterday  I  wrote  a  letter  to  the 
Honorable  Board,  in  answer  to  one  from 
their  President,  by  order  to  us  upon  that 
subject,  which  letter  Revere  carried  from  this 
city  yesterday  morning."  On  the  back  of  a 
letter  from  Hawley  to  Adams,  was  indorsed  : 
"  Received  this  letter  at  dinner,  4  o'clock, 
Saturday,  25th  November,  1775.  Yesterday 
morning,  i.e.,  Friday,  November  24th,  Paul 
Revere  went  off  from  this  place  with  my 
letter  to  the  Board,  in  which  I  gave  it  as 
my  opinion  that  the  council  might  give  up 

the  Service  of  Congress,  and  all  Persons  are  Requested  to  afford 
him  what  assistance  he  needs. 

Given  under  my  hand  at  York  Town  in  Pennsylvania  this 
nineteenth  Day  of  October,  1777. 

John  Hancock,  Presid't. 
Another  pass  is  in  the  autograph  of  the  succeeding  President : 

I  certify  that  Mr.  William  Dodd  is  employed  as  a  Messenger 
to  go  to  and  from  Boston  on  public  service. 

He  is  therefore  to  receive  dispatch  at  Ferries  and  all  necessary 
assistance  on  the  Road. 

Henry  Laurens, 

President  of  Congress. 

Philadelphia,  12th  October,  1778. 


238 


THE  RIDE  TO  LEXINGTON. 


the  point  in  dispute  with  the  House  about  the 
appointment  of  militia  officers,  and  that  the 
resolutions  of  Congress  mentioned  in  this 
letter  were  so  clear  that  we  need  not  apply 
to  that  assembly  for  explanation." 

The  following  letter 1  from  John  Lamb  to 
Revere  while  at  Cambridge,  indicates  the 
state  of  feeling  in  other  places  outside  of 
New  England  : 

New  York,  21st  May,  1775. 

Dear  Sir 

Your  favor  of  the  15th  came  duly  to  hand, 
by  which  I  have  the  pleasure  to  find  you  are 
in  good  health,  and  high  spirits.  I  agree 
with  you  in  opinion  that  the  eyes  of  all 
America  are  upon  us,  and  that  the  success 
of  the  grand  cause,  greatly  depends  on  our 
spirited  exertions  at  this  time,  —  and  I  flatter 
myself  that  with  the  timely  assistance  of  our 
neighbors  of  New  Jersey,  and  Connecticut  we 
shall  not  fail  to  disappoint  the  Ministry  in 
their  design  to  make  this  City  a  Place  of 
Arms,  &  cut  off  the  communication  between 


1  From  the  Revere  family  papers. 


THE  RIDE  TO  LEXINGTON. 


239 


the  Southern  and  Eastern  Colonies.  Not- 
withstanding we  have  still  a  great  number  of 
Villains  among  us  who  would  readily  join  the 
King's  Troops  and  take  up  arms  against  us. 
I  have  the  pleasure  to  inform  you  that  the 
people  in  the  Southern  Colonies,  are  ex- 
tremely busy  in  preparing  for  the  last  appeal. 
I  was  lately  in  Philadelphia  where  a  thirst  for 
Military  Discipline  prevails  to  such  a  degree, 
as  would  astonish  you.  I  left  that  place  last 
Tuesday  afternoon,  at  which  time  3 1  com- 
panies were  formed  and  had  chosen  their 
officers,  who  exercise  them  regularly  twice  a 
day,  and  as  fast  as  they  can  procure  arms, 
other  companies  will  be  immediately  formed, 
and  what  is  still  more  surprising  this  spirit 
begins  to  operate  amongst  the  Quakers,  a 
body  of  whom  have  formed  themselves  into 
a  company  and  exercise  twice  a  day,  Pub- 
lickly  on  the  common,  besides  which  a  great 
number  are  privately  learning  to  exercise  (as 
they  do  not  care  to  offend  their  Parents  who 
are  very  rigid  Quakers)  that  they  may  be 
able  to  act  when  ever  the  Publick  service  may 
require  their  aid,  —  I  have  not  to  add  but  my 


240 


THE  RIDE  TO  LEXINGTON. 


best  wishes  for  your  Health  and  Prosperity 
being  with  the  most  Cordial  Friendship  & 
Esteem  Dear  Sir 

This  ride  to  Lexington  has  been  told  not 
only  by  Revere  himself,  but  also  in  the  mellif- 
luous lines  of  Longfellow,  in  his  "Tales  of  a 
Wayside  Inn."  According  to  his  journal.1  he 
began  this  poem  April  6,  i860,  and  under  date 
of  April  19,  he  says:  "  I  wrote  a  few  lines  in 
4  Paul  Revere's  Ride,'  this  being  the  day  of  his 
achievement." 

The  following  facsimile  of  the  first  and  last 
stanzas  was  traced  from  the  original  draft, 
written  with  a  lead  pencil,  as  was  his  wont. 
Mr.  Longfellow  preserved  all  of  his  manu- 
scripts, had  them  handsomely  bound,  and  they 

1  Life  of  Henry  Wadsworth  Longfellow,  by  Samuel  Longfellow, 
vol.  ii.  p.  352. 


THE  RIDE  TO  LEXINGTON 


24I 


are  still  in  his  study  at  Cambridge ;  in  fact, 
everything  about  the  historic  old  mansion  re- 
mains as  he  left  it,  under  the  guardianship  of 
his  genial  brother  and  biographer,  Rev.  Samuel 
Longfellow.  This  house  is,  indeed,  historic. 
Here  have  lived  many  distinguished  men  be- 
sides our  poet ;  among  them  Col.  John  Vassall, 
Andrew  Craigie,  Jared  Sparks,  and  Edward 
Everett.  Here  Washington  had  his  headquar- 
ters when  in  command  of  the  army  : 

"  Once,  ah,  once,  within  these  walls, 
One  whom  memory  oft  recalls, 
The  Father  of  his  Country,  dwelt." 

It  will  be  noticed  that  the  facsimile  differs 
somewhat  from  the  printed  copy ;  notably  in 
these  lines,  which  do  not  there  appear :  — 

"  A  cry  that  like  the  roll  of  the  drum 
Made  known  that  the  fatal  hour  had  come ;  " 

"  Such  was  the  word,  and  such  the  deed, 

And  the  heart  of  the  people  says  God-speed  !  " 

And  the  final  lines  are  somewhat  changed. 
There  are  a  few  other  minor  differences  in  the 
original  and  printed  copies. 


CHRIST  CHURCH  AND  THE 
SIGNAL  LANTERNS 


CHAPTER  VII. 


CHRIST  CHURCH  AND  THE  SIGNAL  LANTERNS. 

The  "Old  North  Church"  —  America's  Oldest  Chime 
of  Bells  —  The  Memorial  Tablet  —  The  Signal  Lanterns  — 
Robert  Newman  —  Centennial  Celebration — Longfellow's 
"  Paul  Revere's  Ride." 

CHRIST  CHURCH  — the -North  Church  " 
of  Revolutionary  days,  now  called  the 
"Old  North  Church"  —  is  the  oldest  public 
building  in  Boston  now  standing  on  its 
original  ground,  having  been  erected  in  1723. 
Here  preached  Timothy  Cutler,  Mather  Byles, 
Jr.,  William  Montague,  and  other  famous 
men.  To  Rector  Montague,  Arthur  Savage 
gave  the  ball  which  killed  Warren  at  Bunker 
Hill.  This  ball  is  now  in  the  possession 
of  the  New  England  Historic  Genealogical 
Society.     In   the    graceful    steeple    of  this 


248      CHRIST  CHURCH  AND   THE  LANTERNS. 


church,  long  a  landmark 
for  vessels  entering  the 
harbor,  hangs  the  first 
and  oldest  chime  of 
bells  in  America.1  It 
consists  of  eight  bells, 
which  bear  the  follow- 
ing inscriptions  : 

1 .  This  peal  of  eight 
bells  is  the  gift  of  a 
number  of  persons  to 
Christ  Church  in  Bos- 
ton, N.  E.,  Anno  1744 
A.  R. 

2.  This  Church  was 
founded  in  the  year 
1723.  Timothy  Cutler, 
D.D.,  the  first  rector. 
A.  R.  1723. 

3.  We  are  the  first 
ring  of  bells  cast  for 

1  The  top  of  this  steeple  was 
blown  off  in  the  great  gale  of 
1804,  but  replaced  in  same  style 
of  architecture,  being  made  six- 
teen feet  shorter. 


CHRIST  CHURCH  AND  THE  LANTERNS.  249 


the  British  Empire  in  North  America.  A.  R. 
1744- 

4.  God  preserve  the  Church  of  England. 
1744. 

5.  William  Shirley,  Esq.,  Governor  of  the 
Massachusetts  Bay,  in  New  England,  Anno 
1744. 

6.  The  subscription  for  these  bells  was 
begun  by  Iohn  Hammock  and  Robert  Tem- 
ple, churchwardens,  Anno  1743;  completed 
by  Robert  Ienkins  and  Iohn  Gould,  church- 
wardens, Anno  1744. 

7.  Since  generosity  has  opened  our 
mouths,  our  tongues  shall  ring  aloud  its 
praise.  1744. 

8.  Abel  Rudhall,  of  Gloucester,  cast  us 
all,  Anno  1744. 

And  it  was  from 

"  the  highest  window  in  the  wall  " 

of  this  church  that  the  signal  lanterns  were 
displayed  by  Robert  Newman,  the  sexton, 
which  bore  so  important  a  part  in  the 
memorable  19th  of  April. 


25O      CHRIST  CHURCH  AND   THE  LANTERNS. 


And  now  this 

"  Gray  spire,  that  from  the  ancient  street 
The  eyes  of  reverent  pilgrims  greet," 

has  become  a  monument  to  Paul  Revere. 
Embedded  in  the  solid  masonry  of  its  tower 
is  a  large  tablet  bearing  this  inscription  : 

The  Signal  Lanterns  of 
PAUL  REVERE 
Displayed  in  the  Steeple  of  this  Church, 
April  18,  1775, 
Warned  the  Country  of  the  March 
of  the  British  Troops  to 
Lexington  and  Concord. 

This  tablet  is  a  block  of  granite,  ten 
feet  three  inches  in  length,  six  feet  four 
inches  in  width,  and  one  foot  in  thickness. 
It  is  forty-two  feet  above  the  sidewalk,  and 
was  placed  in  position  October  17,  1878. 
It  has  been  truly  said  that  at  nearly  every 
hour  of  the  day  some  one  may  be  seen 
"  looking  up  at  the  lofty  spire  with  an  ex- 
pression of  deep  satisfaction,  as  if  some  long- 
cherished  wish  had  at  last  been  accomplished."  1 

1  Samuel  Adams  Drake  in  New  England  Legends  and  Folk  Lore, 
p.  79. 


ONE    IF   BY   LAND,   AND  TWO,   IF  BY  SEA. 


CHRIST  CHURCH  AND   THE  LANTERNS.  253 


There  has  been  more  or  less  controversy 
concerning  the  church  from  which  these  lan- 
terns were  displayed.  In  the  light  of  all 
the  evidence,  there  is  no  doubt  but  that 
Christ  Church  steeple  was  the  one.  The 
whole  question  has  been  very  fully  and  satis- 
factorily treated  by  Mr.  William  W.  Wheildon, 
in  a  pamphlet  issued  in  1878,  entitled 
"  History  of  Paul  Revere's  Signal  Lanterns, 
April  18,  1775,  in  the  Steeple  of  the  North 
Church,"  which  he  very  appropriately  dedi- 
cates as  follows: 

To  the  Memory  of 
JOSEPH  WARREN, 
Who    Prompted    the    Patriotic  Movements 
of  April  18  ; 
PAUL  REVERE, 
Whose  Foresight  Provided  for  the  Signal 
Lanterns ; 
,     ROBERT  NEWMAN, 
Who    Displayed    the    Lanterns   from  the 
Church  Steeple  ; 
And  their  Patriotic  Associates, 
This  Volume 
Is  Respectfully  Inscribed 
By  the  Author. 


254      CHRIST  CHURCH  AND   THE  LANTERNS. 


As  in  1775  Robert  Newman 

"climbed  the  tower  of  the  Old  North  Church, 
By  the  wooden  stairs,  with  stealthy  tread, 
To  the  belfry-chamber  overhead  ;  " 

and 

"By  the  trembling  ladder,  steep  and  tall, 
To  the  highest  window  in  the  wall," 

and  there  hung  out  the  famous  lanterns, 
so,  in  1875,  cud  his  son  Samuel  H.  New- 
man perform  that  service  at  the  centennial 
celebration,  concerning  which  the  Rev.  Robert 
C.  Waterston,  D.D.,  writes:  "When  the  one 
hundredth  anniversary  took  place,  they  had 
there  a  deeply  interesting  celebration  at 
which  all  honor  was  given  to  Robert  New- 
man. His  direct  descendant  walked  at  the 
given  hour  out  of  the  vestry  with  his  lighted 
lanterns,  and  down  the  crowded  aisle,  and  up 
into  the  tower,  where,  one  hundred  years 
after,  he  hung  out  the  lighted  memorial 
lanterns.  It  was  in  the  midst  of  my  own 
remarks,  that  this  took  place ;  while  I  was 
speaking  of  Robert  Newman,  and  pointing 
to  Newman's  son  as  he  walked  by  with  his 


CHRIST  CHURCH  AND   THE  LANTERNS.  255 


lanterns,  I  repeated  the  words  of  the  Psalm- 
ist:  1  I  had  rather  be  a  Door-keeper  in 
the  house  of  my  God,  than  to  dwell  in 
the  tents  of  wickedness.'  The  excited 
people  made  the  house  rock  with  their  re- 
sponse—  as   if  the  cannons  of  Concord  and 

Lexington    were     even    then     rending  the 

1  » 1 
air !  1 

And  concerning  these  historic  events,  the 
Rev.  Henry  Burroughs,  rector  of  the  church 
at  the  time  of  this  anniversary  says:  "The 
1 8th  of  April,  Easter  Tuesday,  1775,  is  a 
memorable  day  in  our  annals,  connecting  the 
history  of  this  church  with  that  of  the  nation. 
It  was  the  last  day  of  the  rectorship  of  a 
clergyman  owning  allegiance  to  the  King  of 
Great  Britain.  That  evening,  the  sexton  of 
Christ  Church,  Robert  Newman,  sat  quietly 
in  his  house  on  Salem  Street,  opposite 
Bennett  Street,  assuming  an  unconcerned 
look  and  manner  to  avert  the  suspicion  of 
the  English  officers,  who  were  quartered 
upon  him,  but  impatiently  expecting  the 
arrival  of  a  friend,  a  sea  captain,  who  was 

1  MS.  letter  Jan.  7,  1886. 


256      CHRIST  CHURCH  AND  THE  LA  A' TERNS. 


watching  the  movements  of  the  Regulars. 
.  .  .  Mr.  Newman  succeeded  in  eluding  the 
vigilance  of  his  unwelcome  guests,  took  down 
the  church  keys,  and  with  two  lanterns  in 
his  hand,  went  out,  met  his  friend,  heard 
the  news  he  brought,  opened  the  church 
door,  and  locked  it  again  after  him,  and  went 

'  By  the  wooden  stairs,  with  stealthy  tread, 
To  the  belfry-chamber  overhead.'  .  .  . 

"The  twin  lights  from  this  steeple  waked 
the  fires  of  war,  and  symbolized  two  mighty 
changes.  The  colonies  became  an  independ- 
ent nation,  and  the  Church  of  England  in 
this  land  is  the  Protestant  Episcopal  Church 
in  the  United  States. 

"  If  Robert  Newman's  courage  or  patience, 
firmness  or  self-control,  had  failed  him  for 
an  instant,  Paul  Revere  would  have  looked 
in  vain  across  the  dark  waters  at  the  tall 
steeple  rising  above  Copp's  Hill.  When  his 
task  was  done,  Mr.  Newman  came  down, 
passed  through  the  church,  jumped  out  of 
the  back  window,  went  round  through  Unity 
and  Bennett  Streets  to  his  house,  and  sue- 


CHRIST  CHURCH  AND   THE  LANTERNS.  2$y 


ceeded  in  entering  it  without  being  ob- 
served. The  British  found  him  in  bed.  They 
arrested  him,  and  threw  him  into  jail.  But 
he  had  taken  such  wise  precautions  that 
nothing  could  be  proved,  and  he  was  set 
at  liberty."  1 

There  has  been  some  controversy  as  to 
who  hung  the  signal  lanterns  which  Paul 
Revere  arranged  to  have  displayed  from  the 
steeple  of  Christ  Church.  In  1876,  after 
the  centennial  celebration  in  the  church  had 
taken  place,  the  Rev.  John  Lee  Watson  of 
New  Jersey  attempted  to  prove  that  it  was 
Captain  John  Pulling,  and  not  Robert  New- 
man, who  showed   the    signal    lights.  This 

o  o 

claim  was  refuted  in  a  most  satisfactory  and 
exhaustive  manner  by  Mr.  Wheildon  in  his 
pamphlet,  "  History  of  Paul  Reveres  Signal 
Lanterns." 

Among  the  residents  of  the  old  North 
End,  it  was  always  understood  and  admitted 
that  Robert  Newman  was  the  man  who  dis- 
played the  signal ;  not  one  of  them  can  be 

1  Historical  Address  at  the  1 50th  anniversary  of  the  opening 
of  the  church. 


258      CHRIST  CHURCH  AND  THE  LANTERNS. 


found  who  ever  enter- 
tained any  other  idea 
concerning  the  matter. 
Revere  knew  Newman 
well  ;  was  a  schoolmate 
of  his  two  older  broth- 
ers. Besides  knowing 
his  man  to  be  one 
upon  whom  he  could 
depend,  he  was  the  sex- 
ton of  the  church,  had 
the  keys,  and  knew  the 
way  to  those  upper  win- 
dows, reached,  as  they 
were  to  be,  "  by  the  trem- 
bling ladder  steep  and 
tall." 


hi 


Newman's  Sword  and 
Scabbard. 


1  This  autograph  furnished  by  the 
kindness  of  a  granddaughter,  Miss 
Harriet  Newman  of  Boston.  His 
sword,  of  which  the  accompanying  is 
a  sketch,  is  in  possession  of  the 
Cary  Library,  Lexington. 


FAMILY  LETTERS. 


CHAPTER  VIII. 


FAMILY  LETTERS. 

Revere  returns  to  Charlestown —  Letter  to  his  Wife 
in  Besieged  Boston  —  Her  Reply  —  Letters  from  Ezra 
Collins,  Sergeant  Singer,  and  Revere's  Cousin  John 
Rivoire  of  Guernsey. 

WHEN  Revere  returned  from  his  ride 
to  Lexington,  he  made  his  tempo- 
rary abode  in  Charlestown ;  and  while  there 
the  following  correspondence  took  place  : 1  — 

My  Dear  Girl 

I  receivd  your  favor  yesterday.  I  am  glad 
you  have  got  yourself  ready.  If  you  find 
that  you  cannot  easily  get  a  pass  for  the  Boat, 
I  would  have  you  get  a  pass  for  yourself  and 
children  and  effects.    Send  the  most  valuable 

1  These  letters  are  from  the  papers  belonging  to  the  family  of  the 
late  John  Revere,  a  grandson  of  Paul. 


262 


FAMILY  LETTERS. 


first.  I  mean  that  you  should  send  Beds 
enough  for  yourself  and  Children,  my  chest, 
your  trunk,  with  Books  Cloaths  &c  to  the 
ferry  tell  the  ferryman  they  are  mine.  I 
will  provide  a  house  here  where  to  put  them 
&  will  be  here  to  receive  them,  after  Beds 
are  come  over,  come  with  the  Children,  except 
Paul,  pray  order  him  by  all  means  to  keep 
at  home  that  he  may  help  bring  the  things  to 
the  ferry,  tell  him  not  to  come  till  I  send 
for  him.  You  must  hire  somebody  to  help 
you.  You  may  get  brother  Thomas.  lett 
Isaac  Clemmens  if  he  is  a  mind  to  take 
care  of  the  shop  and  maintain  himself  there, 
he  may,  or  do  as  he  has  a  mind,  put  some 
sugar  in  a  Raisin  cask  or  some  such  thing 
&  such  necessarys  as  we  shall  want.  Tell 
Betty,  My  Mother,  Mrs  Metcalf  if  they  think 
to  stay,  as  we  talked  at  first,  tell  them  I  will 
supply  them  with  all  the  cash  &  other 
things  in  my  power  but  if  they  think  to 
come  away,  I  will  do  all  in  my  power  to  pro- 
vide for  them,  perhaps  before  this  week  is  out 
there  will  be  liberty  for  Boats  to  go  to  Notomy, 
then  we  can  take  them  all.    If  you  send  the 


FAMILY  LETTERS. 


263 


things  to  the  ferry  send  enough  to  fill  a  cart, 
them  that  are  the  most  wanted.  Give  Mrs. 
Metcalf  [torn\m,  their  part  of  the  money 
I  clont  remember  the  sums,  but  perhaps  they 
can.  I  want  some  linnen  and  stockings  very 
much.  Tell  Paul  I  expect  he'l  behave  him- 
self well  and  attend  to  my  business,  and  not 
be  out  of  the  way.  My  Kind  love  to  our 
parents  &  our  Children  Brothers  &  Sisters 
&  all  friends. 

My  Son. 

It  is  now  in  your  power  to  be  serviceable 
to  me,  your  Mother  and  yourself.  I  beg  you 
will  keep  yourself  at  home  or  where  your 
Mother  sends  you.  Dont  you  come  away 
till  I  send  you  word.  When  you  bring  any- 
thing to  the  ferry  tell  them  its  mine  &  mark 
it  with  my  name. 

Your  loving  Father 

o 

P.  R. 

Boston,  2  May  5  oclock  afternoon  75, 

Dear  Paul 

I  am  very  glad  to  hear  you  say  you 
are  easy  for  I  thought  you  were  very  impa- 


264 


FAMILY  LETTERS. 


tient  but  I  cannot  say  I  was  pleased  at  hear- 
ing you  aplyed  to  Capt  Irvin  for  a  pass  as  I 
should  rather  confer  50  obligations  on  them 
than  to  receive  one  from  them.  I  am  almost 
sure  of  one  as  soon  as  they  are  given  out  I 
was  at  Mr  Scolays  yesterday  and  his  son  has 
been  here  to  day  and  told  me  he  went  to  the 
room  and  gave  mine  and  Deacon  Jeffers  name 
to  his  Father  when  no  other  person  was  ad- 
mitted I  hope  things  will  be  settled  on 
easier  terms  soon  I  have  not  received  a  line 
from  you  to  say  till  this  moment  Why  have 
you  altered  your  mind  in  regard  to  Pauls 
coming  with  us?  this  Capt  Irvin  says  he  has 
not  received  any  letter  and  I  send  by  this  2 
bottles  beer  1  wine  for  his  servant.  do  my 
dear  take  care  of  yourself.  O  I  forgot  I  have 
not  received  but  3/  L  M  of  Parkman  and  that 
was  not  enough  to  pay  our  friends  Mr  S 
[  torn  ]  promised  to  pay  you  shoud  be  glad 
to  know  that  your  coat  is  not  made  [  torn  ] 
John  did  not  incline  to  do  it  and  I  spoke 
to  Mr  Boit  he  engaged  to  make  it  if  he 
could  not  get  a  pass  but  as  he  has  that 
in  prospect  he  cannot    I  have  got  a  woman 


FAMILY  LETTERS. 


265 


to  make  Pauls  in  the  house  and  if  you 
choose  I  will  ask  John  to  cut  it  and  get 
her  to  make  it  she  is  a  very  good  work 
woman  and  works  for  Doct  Mount [  torn  ] 
Rand.  Yours  with  affection 

Boston  3  May  1775 

Dear  Sir 

You  Being  the  only  person  over  the  ferry 
to  whom  I  can  apply  (as  I  suppose  my 
Brother  Sam1  to  have  Return'd  home)  to 
assist  my  Sister  in  the  care  of  her  things,  — 
I  shall  Esteem  it  a  particular  mark  of  your 
Friendship  if  you  will  afford  her  your  kind 
aid  in  that  respect,  —  and  the  favour  shall 
ever  be  greatfully  acknowledged  and  very 
cheerfully  retaliated  should  you  at  any  time 
have  occasion  for  my  services  on  this  side, 
or  anywhere  else,  and  am  most 

Respectfully  yours 

Ezra  Collins 

Mrs  Revere  Expects  a  pass  this  morning. 

Mr  Paul  Revere 

[Address]  For  Mr  Paul  Revere 

In  Charlestown. 


266 


FAMILY  LETTERS. 


Mr.  Rievere,  —  We  have  waited  since 
Eleven  oclock  in  Expectation  of  Thomas 
Anjous  arrival  at  the  Chas  Town  Ferry. 
You  will  please  Sir  to  send  over  word  by 
the  next  Boat  whether  he  is  coming  & 
what  time  he  will  be  ready  to  come  over.  — 
Mrs  Rievere  Informed  Capt  Irving  this  morn- 
ing (by  me)  that  you  had  some  Veal  &  Beef 
to  send  over  which  will  be  very  acceptable, 
we  are  ready  to  receive  Mr  Anjou  when  he 
comes  &  Capt  Irving  would  be  glad  you 
would  hasten  his  coming  as  much  as  possible. 
—  There  is  a  pass  ready  for  Mrs  Rievere, 
Family  &  Effects,  as  soon  as  Thomas  Anjou 
comes  over. 

I  am  Sr  yr  Humble  Servt 

Jas  Singer  Seg't 

By  Desire  of  27th 

Capt  Irving 
Ferry  \  past  1  oclock 

To  Mr  Rievere 
Chas  Town. 

The  following  letters  were  written  to  Paul 
Revere  by  his  cousin  John  Rivoire,  Harbor 
Master  and  Receiver  General  of  Customs,  of 


FAMILY  LETTERS. 


267 


Guernsey.1  The  signature  and  part  of  the  last 
page  is  torn  off  from  the  first  one. 

Guernsey  ye  12th  Jany.  1775 

MR  Paul  Rivoire 

Dear  Cousin. 
Several  years  are  Elapsed  since  I  had  the 
pleasure  of  receiving  any  of  your  favors.  I 
wish  heartily  in  future  we  may  not  be  so 
long  silent,  but  renew  mutually  a  fresh  cor- 
respondence. Perusing  the  London  News 
Papers  of  ye  15  Nov1'  last,  I  observed  a  Para- 
graf  wherein  I  found  your  name  though  spelt 
Revere;  having  by  me  one  of  your  former 
Letters  wherein  you  mentioned  "  your  Father 
made  this  alteration  merely  on  account  the 
Bumpkins  should  pronounce  it  easier."  By 
this  I  was  fully  convinced  it  must  be  you. 
It  appears  by  sd  Paragraf  you  are  Deputy  (or 
Express)  from  ye  Congress  of  Boston  to 
Philadelphia,  as  sd  Paragraf  says  thus:  "This 
Day  arrived  Mr.  Paul  Revere  express  from 
the  Congress  of  Boston  who  brought  the 
aoreable  News    General    Gao-e    had  desisted 

o  o 

from  Building  the  Brick  Wall    near  Boston 

1  From  the  family  papers. 


268 


FAMILY  LETTERS. 


and  had  dismissed  the  workmen."  It  seems 
by  this  Dr  Cousin  you  are  a  person  in  good 
Circumstances  and  without  doubt  you  have 
many  friends  at  Boston  and  other  places  on 
the  Continent  and  perhaps  at  Sl  Crus  other- 
wise Sl  Croix,  a  Danish  Island  in  the  West 
Indies.  I  should  take  it  very  kind  you 
would  recommend  me  to  them  in  Consigning 
to  my  House  a  Cargo  (or  Cargoes)  of  Rum 
either  from  New  England  or  the  West  India 
Islands  there  is  not  the  least  fear  of  Profit 
as  Guernsey  is  free  from  all  dutys  and  a 
vast  Trade  carried  on  by  the  Smugglers  from 
here  to  the  Coast  of  England,  we  have  some 
Vessells  who  are  allways  Imploy'd  from  here 
to  St.  Croix  for  Rum.  Your  friends  may 
depend  on  my  Integrity  and  Honor,  & 
Quick  remitances  in  the  House  they  may 
Order.  Good  New  England  Rum  would 
sell  well  here  but  would  not  fetch  so  much 
as  St.  Croix  or  other  Island  in  the  West 
Indies.  White  Oake  Pipe  Staves  answer  well 
here  and  might  be  loaded  in  lieu  of  stowing 
Wood.  I  dont  in  the  least  doubt  your  doing 
your  utmost  to  oblige  me  therefore  will  treat 
on  another  subject. 


COPPER  TEA-KETTLE  MADE  BY  REVERE. 


SILVER  TEA-POT  MADE  BY  REVERE. 


FAMILY  LETTERS. 


2yl 


My  only  brother  Will"1  Rivoire  who  com- 
manded a  New  Vessell  British  Built,  half 
our  property,  was  never  heard  off  since  his 
sailing  from  Quebec  16  Novr  1 7  7 1 .  by  this 
fatal  Accident,  I'm  the  only  male  Rivoire 
remaining  on  this  Island  and  Bachelor  at  40 
years  of  Age.  we  had  also  another  Vessell 
the  whole  our  property,  both  these  Vessells 
were  Imploy'd  in  the  Wine  way  from  Barce- 
lona to  Quebec  &  from  thence  with  Wheat 
to  sd  Barcelona.  Unluckily  my  sd  Deceased 
Broth1"  Kept  me  in  Ignorance  of  all  his  Trans- 
actions and  always  kept  Noble  Men's  com- 
pany as  far  as  the  Vice  Roy  of  Barcelona 
with  whom  I  have  lost  money,  by  this  Indis- 
cretion I  have  considerably  lost  Money,  by 
others  I  have  been  obliged  to  pay  since  my 
Brothrs  Death  near  ^1500  Sterling.  You 
must  Immagine  this  must  have  reduced  me 
but  in  Order  there  should  be  no  Slurr  on 
the  Name  of  Rivoire,  has  justly  paid  every 
one,  without  being  obliged  to  be  put  to 
shame  by  Bankruptcy.  Our  Cousin  Mathias 
Rivoire  of  Martel  near  St.  Foy  14  or  15 
Leagues  from  Bordeaux  writes  me  there  is 


272 


FAMILY  LETTERS. 


one  Mr  Rivoire  of  New  England  now  in 
France.  Undoubtedly  it  must  be  one  of  your 
Brothrs  or  your  Son,  that  the  said  has  wrote 
him  in  order  to  discover  and  recover  what 
may  be  yr  Father's  Claims  in  those  Parts  of 
which  he  says  he  is  Ignorant.  I  should  be 
very  glad  to  see  this  Rivoire  in  Guernsey,  or 
know  how  to  direct  for  him  in  France.  We 
have  other  relations  at  a  place  calld  Riancaut 
very  rich  and  the  whole  of  their  Estate 
should  by  Right  be  my  property  as  Heir  of 
the  Eldest  Son.  My  Grandfather  Simon 
Rivoire  who  defrayed  all  expences  and  sent 
your  father  who  they  called  Appolos  to  Bos- 
ton to  learn  the  Goldsmith  Trade.  You  and 
me  cannot  expect  anything  from  those  Parts,  it 
is  so  lono-  since  our  Friends  left  their  Estates 
in  the  time  of  Persecution  that  it  would  be 
needless.    [  The  end  of  this  letter  is  torn.'] 

Guernsey,  ye  12th  April  1775. 

MR  Paul  Rivoire 

Dr  Cousin 
I  wrote  you  ye   12  January  last  by  New 
York  Packet  which  hope  you  have  received 
and  beg  your  favorable  answer.    Wheat  hav- 


FAMILY  LETTERS. 


273 


ing  been  very  dear  in  Europe  this  long  while 
and  specially  in  Old  England  and  of  course 
at  Guernsey  I'm  certain  if  you  or  any  of  your 
friends  should  send  a  cargo  to  this  place  to 
my  consignment  they  might  expect  a  reason- 
able profit.  It  sells  here  at  present  4/6: 
our  Busshell  42%  weight  for  your  and  your 
friends  Government.  Referring  to  what  I 
have  before  wrote  you,  I  remain 

Your  sincere  and  Loving  Cousin 

John  Rivoire 

Excuse  haste  as  this 

goes  by  a  Man  of  War. 


MILITARY  SERVICES. 


CHAPTER  IX. 


MILITARY  SERVICES. 


The  Massachusetts  State's  Train  —  Commissioned  Lieu- 
tenant-Colonel—  Letter  to  Lamb  —  Regrets  that  he  is  not 
in  the  Continental  Service  —  In  Command  at  Castle 
William  —  The  Artillery  Orderly  Book  —  Benedict  Ar- 
nold's Letter  —  Various  Military  Orders  —  Boston's  First 
Fourth  of  July  Celebration  —  Goes  to  Worcester  for  the 
Bennington  Prisoners  —  General  Heath's  Orders  —  Ordered 
to  Join  the  Rhode  Island  Campaign  —  General  Sullivan's 
Patriotic  Letter — Revere  to  his  Wife  —  Again  in  Com- 
mand at  Castle  William  —  Hardships,  Sufferings,  and 
Troubles  Incident  to  these  Days  of  War. 


V  V  Boston,  they  endeavored  to  make 
useless  the  cannon  at  Castle  William  —  now 
Fort  Independence  —  and  the  other  fortifi- 
cations, by  breaking  off  the  trunions,  and 
in  other  ways  disabling  them.  At  the  re- 
quest  of   General    Washington,    Revere  re- 


HEN    the    British    troops  evacuated 


278 


MILITARY  SERVICES. 


paired  the  damages ;  and  he  also  invented 
a  new  carriage  for  them.  At  this  time  a 
regiment  of  artillery,  consisting  of  ten  com- 
panies, was  raised  for  the  defence  of  the 
town,  with  its  headquarters  at  Boston.  This 
was  also  called  the  "  Massachusetts  State's 
Train."  Revere  immediately  entered  the  ser- 
vice, being  commissioned  at  first,  April  10, 
1776,  as  Major  in  the  First  Regiment  of 
Militia.  A  month  later,  however,  May  10, 
he  was  transferred  to  the  Artillery  Regi- 
ment;  and  not  long  after,  November  27th, 
he  was  promoted  to  the  position  of  Lieu- 
tenant Colonel  of  the  regiment.1. 


1  Both  of  these  commissions  are  among  the  family  papers. 
That  for  the  Lieutenant  Colonelcy  is  as  follows  :  — 


[seal] 


State  of  the 
Massachusetts  Bay. 


Jere  Powell 
W.  Sever 
T.  Cushing 
R.  Derby 
John  Whitcomb 
John  Taylor 
Jabez  Fisher 
Benj  Austin 
B.  White 
Danl  Davis 
E.  Thayer 
Jos.  Gushing 
Dl  Hopkins 


)      The  Major  Part  of  the 
>  COCNCIL  of  the  Massac  hi- 
)  setts  Bay  in  New  England. 

To  Paul  Revere  Esquire,  Greeting  : 

You  being  appointed  Lieutenant  Colonel 
of  the  Reg'  of  Train  of  Artillery  raised  for  the 
Defence  of  this  State,  and  for  the  more  ime- 
diate  defence  of  the  Town  and  Harbour  of 
Boston  whereof  Thomas  Crafts  Esq6  is  Col- 
onel—  By  virtue  of  the  Power  vested  in  us, 
We  do  by  these  Presents  (reposing  special 
Trust  and  Confidence  in  your  Loyalty,  Cour- 
age, and  good  Conduct,)  Commission  you  ac- 
cordingly. — 

You  are  therefore  carefully  and  diligentlv  to 
discharge  the  Duty  of  a  Lieutenant  Colonel  in 
leading,  ordering,  and  exercising  said  Regi- 


MILITARY  SERVICES.  279 


His  son,  Paul  Jr.,  was  commissioned  a 
Lieutenant  in  the  4th  Company  of  this  same 
regiment. 

It  would  seem  from  a  sentence  in  the 
following  letter  written  to  his  old  friend 
Colonel  Lamb,  with  whom  he  had  been  as- 
sociated more  or  less  from  the  days  of  the 
Stamp  Act  until  the  breaking  out  of  the 
Revolution,  that  his  position  in  this  State 
Artillery  Regiment,  at  Boston,  was  not  what 
he  had  preferred;  but  that  he  had  desired 
the  wider,  more  active  field  of  Continental 
service  : 

Boston,  Apr.  5,  1777 

Dear  Sr. 

It  is  with  pleasure  I  imbrace  the  oppor- 
tunity of  acknowledging  the  receipt  of  your 
letter,     it  always  gave  me  pleasure  to  break 

H.  Gardner  ment  in  Arms,  both  Inferior  Officers  and  Sol- 

Wm  Phillips  diers  ;  and  to  keep  them  in  good  Order  and 

Discipline  :  And  they  are  hereby  commanded 
to  obey  you  as  their  Lieu*  Colonel,  and  you 
are  yourself,  to  observe  and  follow  such  Orders 
and  Instructions  as  you  shall  from  Time  to 
Time  receive  from  the"  Major  Part  of  the  Coun- 
cil, or  your  Superiour  Officer. 

Given  under  our  Hands,  and  the  Seal  of  the 
said  State,  at  Boston  the  Twenty  seventh  Day 
of  Nov  in  the  Year  of  our  Lord,  1776. 

By  the  Command  of  the  ) 
Major  Part  of  the  Council  ) 

John  Avery,  Dpy.  Secy. 


280 


MILITARY  SERVICES. 


your  seals  — but  much  more  so  now  after 
your  long  imprisonment.  I  congratulate  you 
on  your  return  to  your  family.1  I  hope 
they  are  well,  pray  give  my  regards  to  your 
good  lady  &  Father.  I  long  to  see  the 
old  gentleman,  but  as  matters  now  are  I  do 
not  expect  it.  I  did  expect  before  this  to 
have  been  in  the  Continental  Army,  but 
do  assure  you,  I  have  never  been  taken 
notice  off,  by  those  whom  I  thought  my 
friends,  am  obliged  to  be  contented  in  this 
State's  service.  I  do  not  write  you  any 
news,  as  Capt.  Mansfield  can  relate  all  that 
passes  here.  I  shall  be  very  glad  to  hear 
from  you  often,  and  when  anything  of  im- 
portance turns  up,  will  write  you  or  Col. 
Arnold.  remember  me  to  him  and  lady. 
I  would  have  wrote,  but  had  not  time,  pray 
tell  good  Mr.  Holt  it  is  not  in  my  power  to 
procure  him  a  Journeyman.  Friend  SEARS 
is  here  —  a  very  merchant  ;    in  short  I  find 

1  Lamb  was  very  severely  wounded  at  the  storming  of  Quebec, 
December  30,  1775,  and  taken  prisoner.  He  was  held  at  Quebec  for 
six  months,  then  released  on  parole,  and  afterwards  exchanged.  He 
received  promotion,  and  again  entered  the  army,  serving  through  the 
war. 


MIL  ITARY  SER  VICES. 


28l 


but  few  of  the  Sons  of  Liberty  in  the  army. 
I  wish  you  a  successful  Campaign.  Victory 
&  laurels  to  you  —  that  you  may  long  re- 
main the  scourge  of  Tyrants  is  the  Sincere 
wish  of  your  Friend  &  Humble  Serv1, 

Paul  Revere. 

Col.  Lamb. 

May  17,  1777,  the  Selectmen  of  Boston 
laid  before  the  Town  a  list  of  persons  "  they 
judged  to  be  inimical  to  the  united  States  ;  " 
and  "Thomas  Crafts  Esq.,  Col.  Reveire, 
Deacon  Caleb  Davis,  Col.  Isaac  Sears,"  wrere 
voted  a  "  Comitte  to  wait  upon  One  of  the 
Honble  Council  of  this  State  &  desire  that 
the  Persons  voted  by  the  Town  to  be  inimi- 
cal persons  to  these  States,  be  immediately 
apprehended  &  confined." 

In  the  artillery  service  which  Revere  en- 
tered, he  remained  ;  fulfilling  his  various  du- 
ties with  the  utmost  conscientiousness.  He 
was  detailed  on  many  occasions  for  impor- 
tant duties,  and  was  several  times  placed 
in  command  at  Castle  William ;  the  first 
being  by  an  order  issued  by  General  Heath 
as  follows  : 


282 


MIL  I TA  R  Y  SER  VICES. 


Head  Oks.,  Boston,  i5t  September,  1/76. 

Sir. 

You  will  immediately  repair  to  and  take 
the  Command  of  Castle  Island. 

I  am  sir,  your  obedc  serv1 

W.  Heath  M.  Gen1. 

Lt.  Coll  Revere. 

In  the  Historical  Collections  of  the  Essex 
Institute,  vol.  xiii.,  there  is  printed  the  "  Or- 
derly Book  "  of  this  "  Massachusetts  State's 
Train,"  covering  a  year  and  a  half  of  the 
period  of  its  existence,  from  June,  1777,  to 
December,  1778.  It  begins  at  the  time  of 
the  re-enlistment  of  the  men  at  the  end  of  the 
first  year's  service.  Its  roster  at  this  time 
was  as  follows :  Thomas  Crafts,  Colonel ;  Paul 
Revere,  Lieutenant  Colonel ;  Thomas  Mel- 
vill,  Major;  Increase  Newhall,  Adjutant;  and 
William  Russell,  Sergeant  Major.  The  rec- 
ord is  in  the  handwriting  of  Major  Russell. 
Most  of  the  orders  issued  during  this  time 
were  by  Major-General  Heath  and  Colonel 
Crafts  ;  although  quite  a  number  of  them  were 
issued  by  Lieutenant- Colonel  Revere.  There 
were    many   courts-martial    held   during  this 


MI  LI  TAKY  SEE  VICES. 


285 


period,  the  records  of  which  are  therein 
given,  on  several  of  which  Revere  acted  as 
President.  All  the  orders  issued  at  the  time 
are  of  interest,  bearing  as  they  do  upon  the 
eventful  times  in  which  this  Regiment  was  in 
service.  Only  a  portion  of  those  that  appear 
in  this  "  Orderly  Book,"  and  those  that  were 
issued  by  Lieutenant-Colonel  Revere,  will  be 
used  here.  When  the  following  order  was  is- 
sued, Revere  had  been  recalled  from  the  Cas- 
tle and  placed  on  duty  in  Boston : 

Head  Quarters,  Boston,  July  i^t,  1777. 

Order  d 

That  all  Commission'd,  Non  Commis'd  Offi- 
cers and  Matrosses  uppon  hearing  an  alarm 
beat  round  the  town,  shall  immediately  re- 
pair to  the  parade  with  their  Arms  &  Ac- 
coutriments  and  not  leave  it  till  discharg'd 
by  the  Command8  Officer. 

By  Order  Col°  P.  Revere.1 

1  Previous  to  this  time,  after  being  called  to  duty  in  Boston, 
Revere  received  the  following  note  from  Benedict  Arnold,  found 
among  the  family  papers  : 

Boston  March  ist  1777. 

Dear  Sir 

You  will  oblige  me  much  when  the  Boy  Sam,  he  comes  to  hand 
to  apply  to  Mr  Austin  for  a  Sword  Knot,  Sash,  Two  Best  Appalets 


286 


MI  LIT  A  R  Y  SEA'  VICES. 


Head  Quarters,  Boston,  July  i^t,  1777. 

Order  d 

That  Cap1  Balch,  Cap1  Lieu1  Minzies, 
Lieu1  McClure,  Armstrong  &  Metcalf,  Cap1 
Gray,  Scolly,  Audeburt,  and  Prince,  hold 
themselves  in  Readiness  to  March  into  Con- 
gress Street  on  friday  at  12  oClock,  That 
they  Prepare  two  four  Pound  Brass  Cannon 
with  thirteen  Rounds  of  Powder. 

That  Lieutenant  Bell,  Moors  &  Hart, 
hold  themselves  in  Readiness  to  go  to  the 
Castle  with  Thirteen  Rounds  of  Powder  and 
every  other  Utensail  for  Quick  firing.  .  .  . 

By  Order  of  Col°  Paul  Revere. 

Head  Quarters,  Boston,  2d  July,  1 777- 
Si gnals  for  the  Castle. 

Order  d 

That  when  they  shall  Discover  three 
Colours  hoisted  at   one    time   at  Nantasket 

&  one  doz  Silk  Hose  —  which  I  beg  the  favour  of  you  to  send  me  by 
the  Coachman  or  any  safe  Operty  with  the  Invoice  &  the  Am4  shall 
be  sent  vou  with  many  thanks. 

I  am  with  Comp9  to  M»  Revere 
Dr  Sir 
Your  Obed  Hble  S 

[Address] 


MI  LIT  A  R  Y  SER  VICES. 


287 


and  one  or  more  Guns  fired,  they  are  im- 
mediately, to  hoist  the  same  Signals  and 
fire  three  Guns,  with  their  muzzels  pointed 
to  the  Town,  their  Centinels  are  to  keep  a 
Strict  look  out  for  all  Signals  from  Nan- 
tasket,  that  they  may  be  immediately  answ'd. 
If  they  Hoist  a  Flagg,  Pendant  or  Jack,  the 
Castle  is  to  do  the  same. 

Paul  Revere  U  Col0.  ArtillyX 

1  The  General  Court  of  Massachusetts,  "  having  thought  proper 
to  give  orders  that  the  Anniversary  of  the  Declaration  of  Independ- 
ency should  be  Celebrated  in  this  Town  tomorrow  by  the  firing  of 
Canon,  &c,"  Colonel  Crafts  issued  an  order,  July  3,  "  That  Capt 
Balch,  Cap4  U  Menzeis,  L*  McClure,  Armstrong  &  Metcalf,  three 
Serj'3,  two  Corporals,  and  Thirty  Six  men  (with  two  Pieces  of  Brass, 
4  Pr  Cannon)  hold  themselves  in  Readiness  to  March  into  Congress 
Street  to  fire  a  Grand  Salute  of  13  Rounds. 

"  That  all  the  Commissd,  non  Commission'd  Officers,  and  Mat- 
rosses  be  dress'd  Clean  and  in  their  uniform  and  Powder'd  toMorrow. 
That  all  the  Drums  and  Fifes  appear  Dress'd  clean  and  Powder'd. 

"  That  Cap'  L*  Ingersol,  and  Lieut.  Audeburt,  with  one  Ser- 
jeant, one  Corporal  &  10  Matrosses  march  to  Fort  Hill  and  fire  a 
Grand  Salute  of  13  Rounds."  A  year  later,  Col  Crafts's  order  for  a 
similar  celebration  read  as  follows  :  uThe  Council  of  this  State  have 
directed  me  to  Invite  the  field  &  Commis'1  Officers  of  my  Reg*  to 
Celebrate  with  them  tomorrow  at  12  o'Clock  at  the  Council  Chamber 
the  anniversary  of  American  Independence.  To  the  commanding 
officer  at  the  Laboratory  to  be  communicated  to  the  Commisd  Offi- 
cers. The  Adj4  will  see  that  the  Officers  are  notified  of  the  above 
Invitation.  Drum  Major  Ross  may  permitt  as  many  of  the  Drums 
&  Fifes  to  do  Duty  with  the  Boston  Militia  toMorrow  as  he  thinks 
proper  after  our  Guards  are  mounted." 


288 


MILITARY  SERVICES. 


On  the  27th  August  "  five  Drums  &  five 
fifes,  one  Hundred  &  twenty  Sergeants,  Cor- 
porals, Bombardiers,  Gunners  &  Matrosses," 
with  their  commissioned  officers,  the  whole  un- 
der command  of  Lieutenant-Colonel  Revere, 
were  ordered  to  hold  themselves  in  readiness 
to  march  the  next  morning  for  Worcester ; 
there  to  meet  and  take  charge  of  the  prison- 
ers captured  at  Bennington  by  General  Stark. 
On  the  28th,  the  Legislature  having  ap- 
pointed that  day  as  a  "Day  of  Humiliation 
and  Prayer,"  the  whole  regiment  was  or- 
dered to  "  Appear  at  the  park  dressed  in 
their  Uniform,  Clean  &  Powder'd,"  and  thence 
to  the  meeting-house  to  hear  a  sermon  by 
Rev.  Mr.  Thatcher.  The  detachment  under 
Colonel  Revere  started  for  Worcester  imme- 
diately after  the  service.  While  en  route 
the  following  order  was  issued : 

Watertown,  Augt  29th  1777 

As  Strict  Discipline,  and  Good  Order  is 
the  life  &  Soul  of  a  Soldier,  the  Lieu1  Colonel 
expects  that  there  will  be  the  best  Order 
observed  on    the    March,  the  Commissioned 


MILITARY  SERVICES. 


289 


Officers  are  to  see  that  the  men  behave 
well,  that  they  by  no  Means  hurt  or  destroy 
any  man's  property,  that  they  Abuse  no  per- 
son, but  in  everything  behave  like  men  Belong- 
ing to  the  Massachusetts  State  Train  of  Artil- 
lery. When  there  is  a  halt  the  Sergts  are  to 
be  Accountable  for  the  behaviour  of  the  Men.  s 
Should  any  of  the  Non  Commis'd  Officers 
or  Soldiers  be  so  hardy  as  to  act  Contrary  to 
the  above  directions  they  may  depend  upon 
being  punished  with  the  utmost  Severity. 

By  Order  Col°  Revere. 

In  a  small  memorandum  book  he  made 
the  following  entries  concerning  this  expe- 
dition : 

Watertown  Augt  28th 
9  oClock  P.M. 

Left  Boston  6  °Clock,  arrd  at  Watertown 
at  9.  Ordered  a  Guard  one  man  from  each 
compy  to  take  care  of  the  Wagon. 

Left  Watertown  6  °Clock  a.m.  29th.  Break- 
fasted Westown.  Waited  two  hours  for  wag- 
gon to  come  up  the  Horses  not  being  sufficient 
hired  a  horse  to  Sudbury.  dined  there,  re- 
cevd  a  letter   from    Mrs   Jones   West  town, 


290 


.MILITARY  SERVICES. 


complaining  her  Store  was  broke  open  12 
loafs  of  Sugar  stole.  She  suspects  our  Peo- 
ple. I  have  all  their  Packs  searched,  find 
nothing.  Suspect  they  stole  the  Sugar  them- 
selves, out  of  pretence  charge  our  people, 
the  sugar  belonging  to  the  United  [States] 
and  they  Tories.  While  at  Jones'  Cap1  Todd's 
Serv1  pocket  picked,  two  dollars  taken  out  of 
pocket  Book  wile  hanging  in  the  kitchen. 
At  8  °Clock  arrived  at  Marlborough  & 
there  Lodged.  nothing  unusual  happened. 
30th  Marched  at  6  "Clock  a.m.  Breakd  North- 
borough.  Dined  at  Shrewsbury  arrived  at 
Worcester  5  °Clock  p.m.  Quartered  the  men 
in  the  Town  house.1 

At  Worcester  several  hundred  prisoners, 
"  Highlanders,  Germans,  Canadians,  &c,"  were 
taken  possession  of,  and  marched  to  Boston. 

At  a  General  court-martial  held  on  the  6th 
of  September,  soon  after  the  return  from  Wor- 
cester, of  which  Revere  was  president,  three 
soldiers  were  tried  ;  John  Gowin  "  for  Stealing, 


1  la  this  same  memorandum  book  are  very  minute  directions  for 
the  making  of  Signal  Rockets,  Fuses,  Shells,  Carcases,  "  Artificial 
fire  works,"  etc.,  occupying  over  thirty  pages. 


MILITARY  SERVICES. 


29I 


being  Drunk,  Deserting  a  file  of  men  &  Abus- 
ing Serg1  Griffith  ;  "  and  Thomas  Cleverly  and 
Caleb  Southward  "  for  playing  Cards  on  the 
Sabbath."  There  was  not  sufficient  evidence 
to  convict  Gowin,  but  "The  Court  are  of  the 
Oppinion  that  Cleverly  ride  the  Wooden  Horse 
for  a  Quarter  of  an  hour  with  a  Muskett  at 
each  foot  &  that  Southward  Clean  the  Streets 
of  the  Camp.  Paul  Revere,  PresidV  After- 
wards this  same  Cleverly  was  found  "  Guilty 
of  a  Breach  of  the  16th  article  of  war  [stealing], 
and  do  sentence  him  to  be  Whip'd  ten  lashes 
on  his  naked  back  with  a  Cat  O  Nine  tails." 

In  September  the  whole  regiment  was 
ordered  to  take  part  in  the  first  campaign  to 
Rhode  Island.  Upon  the  regiment's  return 
to  Boston,  Colonel  Crafts  returned  his  thanks, 
November  3,  to  the  "  Gentlemen,  Officers, 
Non  Commission'd  Officers  &  Matrosses  for 
their  extraordinary  Military  &  Soldier  -  like 
behaviour  on  the  Rhode  to  &  from  Camp  & 
the  polite  treatment  the  Inhabitants  recd  from 
them.  Such  conduct  will  always  keep  the 
Regiment  in  high  esteem  &  they  never  need 
fear,  being  well    supply'd    &    kindly  treated 


292 


MILITARY  SERVICES. 


whenever  called  out  to    March  through  the 

Country."    Soon  after  the  return  from  Rhode 

Island,  Revere  was  again  placed  in  command 

at  Castle  William,  and  the  Council  issued  the 

following  order : 

State  of  Massachusetts  Bay 

Council  Chami-  Jan  2<*  1778 

Ordered  that  Lieu1  Col0  Revere  &  Major 

Melvil  &  Cap1  Ay  res  be  and  they  hereby  are 

directed    to    £0   on    Board    the  Cartel  Brio; 

Favourite    to    assist    Robert    Pierpoint,  Esq. 

Comissary  of  Prisoners  in  the  Examination 

of  said  Cartel  &  to  see  that  they  have  no 

more  Prisoners  on  Board  than  were  exhibited 

by  the  said  Comissary  to  this  Board  being  in 

Number  one  hundred  &  fifty. 

read  &  accepted 

Jno.  Avery  Dy  Secy  1 

In  addition  to  previous  instructions  Gen- 
eral Heath  sent  the  following  to  Revere  : 

Head  Quarters  Boston  Mar.  Ist  1778 

Sir 

In  addition  to  the  Orders  of  the  21st  of 
January  you  will  please  upon  the  arrival  of  the 

1  Massachusetts  Archives,  vol.  174,  p.  64. 


MILITARY  SERVICES. 


293 


Militia  who  are  ordered  to  reinforce  the  Gar- 
rison at  Castle  Island  to  direct  that  they  be 
Quartered  as  conveniently  as  may  be.  You 
will  mount  such  Guards,  and  post  such  Sen- 
tries as  you  may  think  necessary  for  the  secur- 
ity of  the  Post,  and  the  strength  of  the 
Garrison  will  admit.  Hull,  Long  Island  & 
Governor's  Island  are  also  to  be  considered 
as  under  your  Command  to  whom  you  will 
give  such  orders  as  you  may  from  time  to 
time  think  necessary,  such  orders  not  to  be 
repugnant  to  the  General  Standing  orders  of 
each  Post  already  given. 

All  letters  from  the  Fleet  are  to  be  received 
at  Long  Island  and  immediately  transmitted  to 
you,  —  they  are  to  be  by  you,  without  delay 
forwarded  to  Head  Quarters.  No  letter  in  any 
case,  or  on  any  pretence  whatever,  is  to  be 
sent  to  the  Officer  at  Long  Island,  to  be 
forwarded  to  the  Fleet  unless  it  shall  appear  in 
writing  that  such  letter  has  been  examined  at 
Head  Quarters  and  has  my  permission  to  be 
sent  on  board. 

You  will  please  frequently  to  direct  that 
the  Men's  arms  and  ammunition  are  carefully 


294 


MILITARY  SERVICES. 


inspected  and  that  your  Garrison  are  at  all 
times  in  readiness  to  make  a  vigorous  defence 
should  they  be  attacked,  in  particular  take 
every  precaution  to  prevent  a  surprise.  You 
will  make  such  disposition,  and  give  such 
orders  to  the  Commanding  Officer  at  Gov- 
ernor's Island,  as  may  be  necessary  for  that 
post. 

I  will  not  add  save  that  you  have  the 
charge  of  several  important  Posts  put  into 
your  hands,  and  relying  on  your  Zeal  &  abili- 
ties rest  assured  that  no  measures  will  be 
omitted  which  your  own  Honor  and  the 
Safety  of  your  Country  require. 
I  am  Sir 

Your  Obedient  Servant 


P.S.  Regular  weekly 
returns  of  the  several  Gar- 
risons &c.  are  to  be  sent  to 
Head  Quarters. 

Lieut  Colo  Revere. 

[Address]    Lieutenant  Colonel  Revere.] 
1  From  the  family  papers. 


MIL ITARY  SER  VICES. 


295 


A  few  days  later  Revere  wrote  to  General 
Heath  : 

Castle  Island  March  8  1778 

Hond  SR 

The  last  Evening  about  6  °Clock,  the  wind 
blowing  fresh  at  East,  &  extream  thick  of 
snow,  the  Sentry  discovered  a  Sloop  with  a 
white  flagg  at  her  topmast  head,  which  we 
brought  too.  I  sent  an  officer  on  board,  who 
wrote  me  she  was  a  Cartel  from  Cap1  Dal- 
rymple,  of  the  Juno  Frigate,  who  commands 
the  Transports  which  are  Ordered  for  the 
reception  of  Gen1  Bourgoin's  Troops.  I  im- 
mediately Ordered  a  Subaltern's  Guard  on 
board  with  orders,  not  to  suffer  any  person, 
to  go  from,  or  come  on  Board  without  my 
express  Orders  in  writing.  I  likewise  Ordered 
the  Captain  of  the  Cartell  as  soon  as  wind  & 
weather  permitted  to  fall  down  to  Nantasket 
Road,  when  he  must  not  suffer  any  of  his 
people  to  go  on  shore,  on  any  pretence.  He 
is  very  desirous  of  getting  some  water  from 
one  of  the  Islands,  which  will  not  be  granted 
with  [out]  your  permit.  I  send  you  by  Capt. 
Phillips  a  letter  for  Gen1  Bourgoine,  as  he  is 


296 


MI  LIT  A  R  Y  SER  VICES. 


the  officer  that  went  on  Board.  I  refer  you 
to  him  for  particulars. 

[Endorsed :  "  Copy  of  letter  to  G.  Heath?] 

To  this  General  Heath  replied  : 

Head  Qrs  Boston  Mar.  8,  1778. 

Sir 

The  Cartel  may  lie  at  anchor  near  the 
Castle  —  you  will  please  to  keep  a  small 
Guard  on  board  to  prevent  any  Boats  going 
off  from  her.  You  will  please  to  order  an 
officer  to  go  on  board  and  examine  if  any 
Cannon,  fire  Arms,  or  Military  Stores  are  on 
board  and  also  the  number  of  hands.  If  upon 
examination  it  should  appear  that  they  really 
stand  in  need  of  Water  you  may  permit  their 
boat  to  go  on  shore  under  a  proper  Guard 
at  Spectacle  Island.  Let  every  civility  be 
shown  to  the  Flag.  You  will  please  to  inform 
the  Captain  that  the  Letters  are  sent  to  Cam- 
bridge and  an  answer  will  be  sent  him  as  soon 
as  it  is  received. 

I  am  Sir 

Your  H'ble  Serv1 

Lt  Colo  Revere  W  HEATH  M.  G. 


MIL  I TA  R  Y  SER  VICES. 


297 


Head  Qrs  Boston  March  8th  1778 

Sir 

I  have  ordered  the  State  Galley  down  to 
take  your  direction — I  think  it  will  be  much 
better  to  have  her  lie  at  Anchor  near  the 
Cartel,  than  to  keep  a  Guard  on  Board.  You 
will  please  to  direct  that  the  Galley  take  a 
proper  Station,  &  so  near  the  Cartel  as  to 
prevent  any  Boat  going  to,  or  coming  from 
her  —  You  will  please  to  order  such  Guard 
on  board  the  Galley  as  you  may  think  proper 
—  The  Galley  has  \torn\  Swivels  iolb  loose 
powder  32  Round  Shot  &  200  Musket  Car- 
tridges —  You  will  please  to  order  the  whole 
to  be  properly  fixed  —  Permit  no  letter  to  be 
sent  on  board  without  Certificate  from  my- 
self—  And  prevent  Conversation  between  our 
Soldiers  &  the  Hands  on  board  the  Cartel. 

I  am  Sir 

P.S.     Genl   Burgovne  Vour  Ob'  Serv* 

will  not  send  an  Answer  to  w   Heath    M  Q 

the  Cartel  before  tomorrow. 
There  are  a  Skipper  &  2 
hands  on  board  the  Galley. 

To  Lt  Col.  Revere. 

Boatmen  on  Fatigue  are  to 
be  allowed  a  gill  of  Rum  pr 
day.1 

1  The  last  three  letters  are  from  the  family  papers. 


298 


MIL  I TA  R  V  SER  VICES. 


The  next  day  Revere  reported  to  General 
Heath  : 

Castle  March  9  1778 

Hond  SK 

Agreeable  to  your  Orders,  I  sent  Cap* 
Phillips  on  board  the  Cartel,  who  reports  he 
has  searched  her.  He  found  no  Cannon, 
Arms  nor  Ammunition.  They  say  they  have 
forty  men  including  officers,  ten  days  provis- 
ion, and  Seven  Butts  of  water.  She  is  used 
as  an  armed  Vessel  by  the  enemy.  They 
took  her  Guns  &c  out,  before  she  came  away 
and  have  the  Same  Men,  as  when  an  armed 
Vessel.  The  officers  behaved  very  civil,  and 
made  no  Objection  to  being  searched.  He 
has  renewed  his  application  for  water.  Shall 
give  him  leave  tomorrow,  to  go  to  Spec- 
tical  Island  with  his  boat,  but  will  send  a 
Guard  with  him.  Inclosed  is  the  Returns 
from  Castle  Island,  Governors  and  Long 
Islands ;  have  not  received  Returns  from 
Hull. 

Your  Dutifull  Hum1  Serv1 


Major  Genl  Heath 


Paul  Revere. 


MILITARY  SERVICES. 


299 


P.S.  We  have  not  men  enough  to  do 
duty  on  the  Island.  I  should  be  glad  another 
Compy  might  come  today 

[Address]         Honblk  Maj.  Genl  Heath. 

Boston.1 

In  accordance  with  the  request  in  the 
above  postscript,  the  following  order  was 
issued  : 

Head  Quarters  Boston  Ap1  13th  1778 

Col0  Crafts  will  Immediately  Reinforce  Ll 
Col0  Revere  at  the  Castle  with  twenty  men 
from  his  Regiment  of  State  Artillery. 

The  Detachment  of  Militia  now  doingf 
duty  at  Governor's  Island  are  to  move  Imme- 
diately to  the  Castle,  where  they  are  to  do 
Duty  under  V  Col°  Revere  untill  further 
Orders 

By  Order  Major  Genl  Heath. 

At  this  time  the  following  represen- 
tation  was    made   by    the    officers    of  the 

1  From  the  "Heath  Papers,"  vol.  8,  p.  191,  in  possession  of  Massa- 
chusetts Historical  Society. 


300 


MIL  I TA  RY  SER  VICES. 


''Massachusetts  State's  Train;"  written  by 
Revere  : 

To  the  Honhle  the  Council  &  House  of  Rep- 
resentatives of  the  State  of  Massachusetts 
Bay 

We  the  Subscribers  Officers  in  the  State 
Regiment  of  Artillery  commanded  by  Colo : 
Thomas  Crafts 

Beg  leave  to  represent  to  your  Honors 
That  by  reason  of  the  excessive  high  price 
of  every  Article  of  Clothing  we  are  not  able 
to  maintain  ourselves  and  appear  like  Officers 
in  this  State  service. 

We  therefore  pray  —  That  your  Honors 
would  grant  us  the  same  Indulgence  the 
Continental  Officers  have  viz :  of  Drawing  a 
few  Necessarys  out  of  the  State  Stores  — 
paying  the  same  prices  as  they  do  — 

We  stand  in  need  of  the  following 
Articles.  As  much  Blue  Cloth  as  will  make 
each  a  Coat  with  trimmings  for  the  same 
some  White  Woolen  or  Linnen  cloth  for 
Waistcoat  &  Breeches,  Two  pair  of  stock- 
ings, Linnen  for  two    Shirts,  Two   pair  of 


MILITARY  SERVICES. 


301 


Shoes,  and  as  much  Ticking  or  other  strong- 
Check  as  will  make  a  \torn\ 

And  your  petitioners  as  in  duty  \>o\torri\ 

Paul  Revere 
Thomas  Melville 
William  Todd 
Winthrop  Gray 

HONble  COUNCEL  FOR  TURNER  PHILLIPS 

Massachusetts  State  Ph[/#/7z] 

Boston  March  30th  i778.  )\tOT7l\  GlLL 

In  Council  Apr.  4,  1778. 

Read  &  sent  down 

Jn°  Avery  Dy  Secy } 

The  House  of  Representatives  agreed  to 
the  terms  of  this  petition  on  April  6,  and 
the  Board  of  War  was  ordered  to  deliver  the 
materials  as  enumerated. 

There  is  also  in  the  Council  records  the 
following  order : 

State  of  Massachusetts  Bay, 
Council  Chamber,  May  13,  1778. 

Ordered  that  Lie1  Colonel  Revere  be 
and  he  hereby  is  directed  to  fire  the  Heavy 

1  Massachusetts  Archives,  vol.  218,  p.  410. 


302 


MILITARY  SERVICES. 


Cannon  at  Castle  Island  when  the  French 
Frigate  passes  by  the  Castle  Provided  she 
Salutes  the  same. 

Read  &  accepted 

Jn°  Avery  Dy  Secy} 

Other  applications  were  made  to  the 
Council  by  Revere,  for  necessaries  for  the 
Castle  : 

Gentlemen. 

There  is  wanted  for  the  Castle,  and  Hull ; 
one  Flagg,  two  Jacks,  and  two  pendants ; 
for  Signal  Colors,  those  which  are  now  in 
use  being  so  torn,  that  we  can  hardly  dis- 
tinguish them  from  each  other. 

Paul  Revere  Comg  Officer. 

The  Honorable  Council 
of  Massachusetts  State.2 

On  the  same  date  the  Council  passed 
an  order  for  the  necessary  bunting  to  be 
delivered  to  Colonel  Crafts.  Soon  after  he 
made  a  requisition  for  "  800  W1  ioz  Grape- 
shott,  100  four  pound  Shot  —  one  doz.  Ham- 

1  Massachusetts  Archives,  vol.  168,  p.  304. 

2  Ibid.,  vol.  174,  p.  319-i. 


MILITARY  SERVICES. 


303 


mers  —  two  Doz11  pincers,"  which  were  also 
ordered  by  the  Council. 

July  27,  Colonel  Crafts  gave  orders  to 
his  regiment  to  hold  itself  in  readiness  to 
"  March  as  a  Reinforcement  to  Joyn  the 
Army  at  Providence  under  the  Command  of 
Gen1  Sullivan ; "  but  only  a  portion  of  it 
was  ordered  to  march  for  Tiverton,  R.  I., 
on  the  29th.  Lieutenant  Colonel  and  First 
Lieutenant  Revere  were  in  this  expedition. 
This  proved  an  abortive  campaign.  D'Estaing 
and  his  French  fleet  went  to  Boston,  and 
Sullivan  and  his  army  returned.  Colonel 
Crafts's  regiment  was  back  in  its  old  quar- 
ters at  Boston,  Sept.  9. 

During  this  campaign  General  Sullivan 
wrote  the  following  letter,  which  was  found 
among  the  Revere  family  papers  : 

Rhode  Island,  Aug.  nth,  1778. 

Gentlemen. 

I  am  sorry  to  find  it  necessary  that  I 
should  repeatedly  urge  expedition  to  those, 
whom  their  Country  in  this  day  of  Glory 
has  called  upon  to  put  a  period  of  Nefari- 


304  MILITARY  SERVICES. 

ous  War.  To  every  man  of  common  obser- 
vation it  must  be  apparent,  that  the  present 
struggle  has  not  afforded  so  flattering  an 
opportunity,  to  give  a  decisive  blow  to  a 
sinking  enemy  as  the  present  moment,  cut 
off  from  every  advantageous  communication, 
every  appearance  of  support,  they  must  fall 
a  sacrifice  to  our  just  resentment  if  not 
shortly  relieved.  It  is  our  duty  to  accelerate 
their  downfall,  by  every  spirited  exertion. 
March  on  my  brave  countrymen  —  let  us 
rush  upon  them  with  the  impetuosity  of  a 
torrent  and  bear  down  all  opposition  before 
succors  of  men  and  provisions  arrive  and 
render  the  attempt  more  hazardous.  Thus 
my  brave  brethren  by  pushing  forward  to  my 
assistance  you  will  not  only  render  esential 
service  to  your  country,  but  confer  the  great- 
est obligations,  on 

To  the  Commanding  Officers  of  Corps  or  Brigades. 


At  this  time,  Revere  wrote  the  following 
letter  to  his  wife.    It  bears  no  date,  but  was 


MIL  ITARY  SER  VICES. 


305 


undoubtedly  written  in  August,  from  the 
camp  of  the  American  forces  on  the  Island 
of  Rhode  Island,  to  the  north  of  Newport, 
then  in  possession  of  the  British.  It  gives 
information  concerning  the  expedition,  and  is 
an  affectionate  and  patriotic  letter. 

[Rhode  Island,  August,  1778.] 

My  Dear  Girl, 

Your  very  agreeable  letter  came  safe  to 
hand,  since  which  I  have  wrote,  but  received 
no  answer.  I  believe  you  are  better :  what  a 
pleasure  to  hear !  Pray  take  care  of  yourself 
&  my  little  ones.  I  hoped  ere  this  to  have 
been  in  Newport ;  my  next  I  hope  will  be 
dated  there.  We  have  had  the  most  severe 
N.  East  Storm  I  ever  knew,  but,  thank 
Heaven,  after  48  hours  it  is  over.1  I  am  in 
high  health  and  spirits,  &  [so  is]  our  Army. 
The  Enemy  dare  not  show  their  heads.  We 
have  had  about  50  who  have  deserted  to  us; 
Hessians  &  others.  They  say  many  more 
will  desert,  &  only  wait  for  opportunity.  I 
am  told  by  the   inhabitants   that   before  we 


1  This  terrible  storm  occurred  on  Aug.  12  and  13,  1778. 


306 


MILITARY  SERVICES. 


came  on,  they  burned  6  of  their  Frigates ; 
they  have  destroyed  many  houses  between 
them  &  us.  I  hope  we  shall  make  them  pay 
for  all.  The  French  Fleet  are  not  returned, 
but  I  just  heard  they  were  off  Point  Judith 
with  3  frigates,  prizes  ;  this,  I  am  told,  comes 
from  Head  Quarters.  I  do  not  asert  it  for 
fact,  but  hope  it  is  true.  You  have  heard 
this  Island  is  the  Garden  of  America,  indeed 
it  used  to  appear  so  ;  but  those  British  Sav- 
ages have  so  abused  &  destroyed  the  Trees 
(the  greatest  part  of  which  was  Fruit  Trees), 
that  it  does  not  look  like  the  same  Island ; 
'some  of  the  Inhabitants  who  left  it  hardly 
know  where  to  find  there  homes.  Col. 
Crafts  is  oblieed  to  act  under  Col.  Crane, 
which  is  a  severe  Mortification  to  him.  I 
have  but  little  to  do  with  him,  having  a  sep- 
arate command.  It  is  very  irksome  to  be 
separated  from  her  whom  I  so  tenderly  love, 
and  from  my  little  Lambs ;  but  were  I  at 
home  I  should  want  to  be  here.  It  seems 
as  if  half  Boston  was  here.  I  hope  the 
affair  will  soon  be  settled  ;  I  think  it  will  not 
be  long  first.    I  trust  that  Allwise  being  who 


MI  LIT  A  R  Y  SER I  'ICES. 


307 


has  protected  me  will  still  protect  me,  and 
send  me  safely  to  the  Arms  of  her  whom  it 
is  my  greatest  happiness  to  call  my  own. 
Paul  is  well ;  sends  Duty  &  love  to  all.  I 
am  surprised  Capt.  Marett  has  not  rote  me. 
My  duty  to  my  Aunts,  my  love  to  Brothers 
&  Sisters,  my  most  affectionate  love  to  my 
children.  It  would  be  a  pleasure  to  have  a 
line  from  Deby.  Lawson  desires  to  be 
remembered  to  you.  My  best  regards  to 
Mrs.  Bennet,  Mr.  Burt,  Capt.  Tailing,  &  all 
enquiring  Friends.  Col.  Marescall,  who  is 
one  [of]  Gen1  Sullivans  Adi  Camps,  tells 
me  this  minute  that  the  French  have  took  a 
Transport  with  British  Grenadiers,  but  could 
not  tell  the  particulars. 

Your  Own, 

Paul  Revere.1 

Soon  after  the  return  from  the  Rhode 
Island  campaign,  Revere  was  again  placed 
in  command  at  Castle  William,  with  a  por- 
tion of  the  Artillery  Regiment,  as  indicated 
by  the  following  action  of  the  Council : 

1  Proceedings  Massachusetts  Historical  Society,  1873-1875, 
pp.  251,  252. 


3o8 


MILITARY  SERVICES. 


State  of  Massachusetts  Bay, 
Council  Chamber,  Sept.  i,  1778. 

Ordered  that  Major  General  Heath  be  & 
hereby   is   desired   to    order    Liet.  Colonel 
Revere  to  Castle  Island,  there  to  take  com- 
mand of  that  fortress  untill  further  orders. 
Read  &  accepted. 

Jno.  Avery,  Dy  Secy> 

On  the  19th  and  21st  of  the  same  month 
he  applied  to  the  Board  of  War  for  a  long- 
list  of  ordnance  stores,  including  all  sizes  of 
shot  and  canister,  together  with  other  arti- 
cles, closing  his  requisition  as  follows  : 

N.  B.  One  Hundred  Rounds  is  quite 
little  enough  for  each  Cannon. 

There  is  not  upon  an  average  more  than 
Sixteen  rounds  of  powder  on  the  Castle 
belonging  to  this  State. 

Paul  Revere,  Com?  Officer? 

The  next  month  a  supply  was  received 
from  the  powder-mill  in  Canton,  and  the 
following  receipt  was  given  : 

1  Massachusetts  Archives,  vol.  174,  p.  410-J. 

2  Ibid.,  vol.  174,  p.  441. 


MILITARY  SERVICES. 


309 


Castle  Island,  Octor  20,  1778. 
Received  from  Thomas  Crane  Esqr  Forty 
Barrels   of    Gun    Powder,    Containing  one 
hundred  Weight  each  for  the  use  of  the  State 
of  Massachusetts  Bay. 

Paul  Revere  Comg  Offr. 

Later  the  following  order  was  issued  by 
the  Council : 

State  of  Massachusetts  Bay, 
Council  Chamber,  Dec.  29,  1778. 

Ordered  that  U  Col.  Reviere,  Comand- 
ing  at  the  Castle  be  &  he  hereby  is  author- 
ized &  empowered  to  impress  the  first  Vessel 
loaded  with  Wood  that  shall  arrive  in  the 
Harbour    of   Boston    unless    previously  En- 

1  Facsimile  of  original  document  in  possession  of  the  Bos- 
tonian  Society. 


3io 


MILITARY  SERVICES. 


gaged  to  some  Inhabitant  of  said  Town  of 
Boston  (Warfingers  excepted)  said  Wood 
being  for  the  Use  of  Castle  Island  —  Col0 
Reviere  paying  for  said  Wood. 

Attest, 
Jn°  Avery,  Dy  Secy> 

Some  of  the  hardships  of  the  soldiers, 
sufferings  of  families,  and  other  troubles  inci- 
dent  to  these  dark  clays,  are  shown  in  the 
following"  letter  to  the  Council  : 

o 

Castle  Island  March  17  1779. 

To  the  Honorable  Council. 

Gentlemen,  —  I  mentioned  to  your  Honors 
a  few  clays  since,  some  difficulties  which  I 
laboured  under,  by  reason  the  men  had  not 
their  necessarys  from  the  Commy  General 
(granted  them  by  the  Honble  Court)  The 
commotions  which  have  been  in  the  Reg1, 
with  their  Real,  and  imaginary  grevances  have 
greatly  increased  those  Difficulties  ;  as  your 
Honors  will  see  by  the  enclosed,  which  was 
sent  to  my  Quarters  the  last  evening.2 

1  Massachusetts  Archives,  vol.  175,  p.  27. 

2  This  was  a  paper  written  by  one  of  the  enlisted  men,  setting 
forth  some  of  the  wrongs  they  wished  righted.  It  is  in  Massachusetts 
Archives,  vol.  175,  p.  187. 


MI  LI  TAR  Y  SER  VICES.  3  I  I 

It  is  my  Duty  as  their  Officer  to  lay  be- 
fore your  Honors  a  true  State  of  their  case. 

At  the  time  they  Inlisted,  they  were 
promised  by  their  Officers  they  should  receive 
Yearly,  a  Coat,  Waist- Coat,  one  pr  Breeches, 
one  Hatt,  two  Shirts,  two  pr  Stockings,  two 
pr  Shoes  and  one  Blanket,  the  same  as  the 
Continental  Soldiers.  —  They  have  not  re- 
ceived but  one  Shirt,  one  pr  Stockings,  one 
pr  Shoes,  and  one  Blanket  the  first  Year.  — 
most  of  their  Blanketts  are  worn  out  ;  some 
lost  their  Blanketts  on  the  retreat  from 
Rhode-Island,  many  have  been  without  all 
Winter. — They  have  received  no  pay  for  the 
month  of  August,  when  in  Rhode- Island  ; 
some  of  them  have  five  months  pay  due, 
and  all  of  them  three  :  many  have  no  shoes, 
and  but  one  shirt,  &  It  is  three  months, 
since  they  drew  any  necessarys  from  the 
Commissary  General.  I  shall  be  exceeding 
glad  if  Your  Honors  will  take  the  above  into 
your  wise  consideration,  and  point  out  some 
way,  by  which  these  Mens  minds  may  be 
Eased.  Many  of  them  have  families  which 
are  Starving ;   they  have  not  the  advantage 


3I2 


MILITARY  SERVICES. 


of  Continental  Soldiers  ;  the  Town  they  be- 
long to  will  not  supply  their  Familys.  I 
beg  leave  to  propose  to  Your  Honors,  that 
the  supernumerary  Non-Commission  Officers, 
Drums,  and  Fifes,  may  be  dismissed,  as  there 
is  near  Forty  of  them,  and  their  pay  and 
Rations  come  to  near  ^"iooo  pr  month,  and 
the  Bread  they  draw  will  be  wanted.  And 
that  the  three  Companys  may  be  Organized, 
as  I  find  it  extremely  dificult  to  take  care 
of  them  as  they  now  are. 

I  must  renew  my  desire  that  the  Officers 
who  remain,  may  make  out  the  Pay  Rolls ; 
as  some  of  the  Officers  are  gone,  and  others 
are  away ;  and  some  have  refused  to  take 
the  trouble  of  paying  them. 

Your  Humble  Servant 

N.B.  Mr.  Devens  the  Com-        PaUL  REVERE   Lieu*.  Col. 

misy  General  told  me  yes- 
terday, that  he  could  make 
out  to  supply  one  month's 
necessarys  if  the  Council 
desired  Him.1 

The  next  day,  March  18,  the  Council 
appointed   a   committee,    of  which  Artemas 

1  Massachusetts  Archives,  vol.  175,  p.  188. 


MIL  ITARY  SER  VICES. 


313 


Ward  was  chairman,  to  take  these  matters 
into  consideration  ;  and  on  the  19th,  the 
Council  ordered  Revere  to  submit  a  list  of 
officers  for  these  three  companies  under  his 
command  at  the  Castle,  which  he  did,  and 
they  were  duly  commissioned. 

Several  years  after  this  time,  he  wrote  the 
following  certificate  concerning  men  dis- 
charged on  the  same  day  that  he  submitted 
his  list  of  officers : 

Boston,  June  19,  1792. 

I  certify  that  James  Pratt,  Daniel  Warner, 
Mathew  James  and  Joseph  Robbins,  were  non 
commission  officers  in  the  Regiment  of  Artil- 
lery commanded  by  Col  Thomas  Crafts,  and, 
that  they  were  discharged  by  me  on  the 
19th  March  1779,  agreeable  to  an  Order  of 
the  Council  of  this  State. 

Paul  Revere. 

I  suppose  Col  Crafts  can  tell  by  the 
Regimental  books,  whose  compy  they  were 
in  &  what  Rank  P.  R. 

1  Copied  from  the  autograph  in  the  collection  of  Mr.  Ernest  L. 
Merrill,  of  Melrose,  Mass. 


3H 


MILITARY  SERVICES. 


Various  other  certificates  of  this  kind  were 
given  by  Revere,  as  commander  of  the  Artil- 
lery Company,  and  are  now  found  in  autograph 
collections. 

April  3,  1779,  he  was  directed  by  the  Coun- 
cil to  kl  Cause  the  Garrison  at  Castle  Island  to 
be  put  in  the  best  posture  of  Defence  without 
Delay  &  if  you  find  a  Deficiency  of  any  article 
necessary  for  the  Defence  of  the  same  you  will 
make  report  to  this  Board  soon  as  may  be. 
In  the  Name  &  by  Order  of  Council 

Attest  Jn°  Avery  D  Secy} 

1  Massachusetts  Archives,  vol.  175,  p  230.  The  original  order 
sent  to  Revere,  found  among  the  family  papers,  is  signed,  "Jer. 
Powell  Preside" 


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